


Across the Divide and Through Valhalla

by Chaosmoon75 (Chaosmoon)



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Final Fantasy XIII Series, Final Fantasy XIII-2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, F/M, Fix-It, Gen, universe hopping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2019-09-01 22:16:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 62,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16773973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaosmoon/pseuds/Chaosmoon75
Summary: Sherry was on a camping trip with one of her friends when the universe decided to go haywire. She finds herself with several new worries and not a whole lot of information on how she is supposed to handle it all. Her focus will be on trying to figure out how it happened, so she can make it unhappen, but life never really likes to cooperate.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should be working on my other stories, but this piece wormed its way into my head about a week ago and wouldn't leave. In typical 'my brain' fashion, it wouldn't shut up until I at least started on it. I will just add it to my rotation as it seems to be taking up so much of my thought processes. It will be a little different but I hope you still enjoy. Let me know what you think!

##  **Chapter 1**

Sherry grunted as she pulled herself up one more slight rise. The light in front of her danced on the cave walls as the lantern she had tied to her pack wobbled with her movement. She was just glad it was bright enough that it didn’t have to be held in front of her. There would have been no way they could have gotten far in these circumstances otherwise. Once she was at the top she turned and knelt down, so she could help her friend, Kaylan, up the rise as well. Once they were both up her companion gave her a playful glare. “You know, when you asked me to go camping, I wasn’t expecting something like this. Even if we haven’t run into cave spiders yet, this is crazy. What possessed you to want to go spelunking?”

“You didn’t have to come if you didn’t want to.” Sherry smirked before heading deeper into the cave.

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to, just… you know how I feel about spiders.” Kaylan shuddered, and Sherry laughed at the motion.

“I don’t like them either, but I was told these caves were pretty open; at least the parts that have been explored before. If we do run into them, then they’ll be fine on the walls and not close to us. We’ll have plenty of time to see them first and don’t tell me you haven’t been looking. We got lucky to get access to this place anyway. Not a lot of people know about it, so it’s perfect.” She paused when they got to another cave offshoot. It only took her a moment to paint a small arrow on the wall pointing back the way they had come. Once it was done, she turned back to Kaylan again. “So which direction this time?”

“We’ve been going right at every turn, so right. We can take the left ones the next time.”

“Right except for the one that led us back again, then we took a left, but I suppose right is as good as any.” They moved down the right fork, chatting amiably while they continued. They had been exploring for close to three hours and knew they would be heading back soon but wanted to see if they could find something new. There had already been several breathtaking rooms filled with stalactites and such, but so far, they had only seen one small clear pool. For the region, they should have found the underground river at some point. That was what they had both been hoping to find.

They had finally decided that it was nearly time to turn back when a sudden noise caught both their attention. Kaylan looked over with scrunched brows. “What was that?”

Sherry shook her head. “It sounded like voices up ahead, but I couldn’t understand anything. It’s probably the acoustics.”

“I thought we were supposed to be the only ones down here?”

“Jon said we were the first to ask for permission in over a year. That doesn’t mean a group of kids hasn’t come here without permission. I’m surprised they’re this deep though. Most people stop after the first few rooms. Let’s see what’s going on.”

They headed forward carefully. They didn’t want to surprise whoever it was, especially as they noticed that the voices were yelling. It didn’t make matters better that they all seemed to be male. They caught sight of a low green light around the next bend, but Sherry paused and put her hand on Kaylan’s arm. She received a strange look for the movement but didn’t say anything. It had just occurred to her that if these men were down there without permission, then there was a good chance they might be doing something else illegal as well. If that was the case, then they needed to get away and let the landowner know instead.

She started to back away slowly and pulled on her friend to go as well but they were stopped by a bright light suddenly filling the tunnel they were in. They both covered their eyes but were instantly aware as they were hit with chips of stone. Sherry’s eyes widened as she heard a rumble close by. She looked back to see a blackened part of the stone crumbling and realized that the tunnel might be caving in. She quickly pushed her friend forward as she yelled out. “Move! Go, go, go!”

She knew she didn’t have time to explain so she pushed her forward until they were around the bend. Kaylan must have finally realized what was going on as she turned to run. She tripped over a rock outcropping but managed to fall into the room that opened up. She quickly turned to make sure her friend had followed but was overcome by dust and the sound of falling rock. She panicked slightly when she didn’t see Sherry. Her voice was interrupted by coughs as she tried to wave away the dust while she screamed out for her friend. “Sherry! Sherry!”

“Ugh, I’m fine. Quit yelling.” Kaylan nearly cried at the sound of her voice. She stood and tried to wave away more of the dust as her friend emerged from the tunnel. She barely noted the fact that she was covered in dust and limping before she grabbed her in a tight hug. Sherry let it go on for a minute before pushing her back and looking her over. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt, but we’re going to have to look at that fall. Give me a minute first.”

It was at that point that she looked up and saw six sets of eyes trained on the two of them. Her eyes widened as she took in the way the six men were dressed. She couldn’t find her voice at first, but she finally started laughing as she limped a couple more steps toward them. “Sorry for interrupting your larping guys.”

She tried to take another step and winced as she put pressure on her right leg. Kaylan was still by her side, but the younger girl had not yet said anything. She was looking around trying to figure out what was going on. 

Sherry waited for a response and when she didn’t get one, she finally spoke again. “Uh, well, I’d love to say that we’ll just head back, but it looks like the tunnel behind us caved in. I’m sure we can find a way out, just let me rest for a moment.”

It was at that time that Kaylan finally realized that her limp had become more pronounced. She looked down and her eyes widened as she saw blood streaking through the dust on Sherry’s leg. “You’re bleeding!”

Sherry gave her a confused look before her eyes followed her friends gaze. When she saw the blood running down her calf she winced again. She tried to reassure her friend though. “I’m fine. We can take a moment and bandage it, but we need to figure out how bad that cave in was.”

It was at that point that one of the men finally found his voice. He stepped forward passed the others that were frowning at him, but he ignored them and held up a hand. “My lady, it would appear that you are injured due to my negligence. Please allow me to heal you.”

She looked him over quickly and laughed again as she tried to continue ignoring the pain. “Way to keep in character. That’s a nice costume too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one so good.”

The man gave her a confused look but didn’t back away. “I am unsure why you are assuming I am wearing a costume, but I can already tell that your injury is not small. Please.” He took a few steps closer and gestured for her other hand. 

She wasn’t sure what to make of the man and her confusion was showing. “You don’t even have a pack, unless you have it stashed close by. Just let me wrap it up and I’ll be fine.”

He gave her a strange look but ignored her as he bent down to get a closer look at her leg. She stiffened when he reached out and touched her ankle. When he stood and frowned at her she took a step back. “You are not fine. Your ankle is at the very least badly sprained, although it looks to be broken.”

She turned to Kaylan when she heard her gasp. She tried to reassure her. “We can wrap it tight and head back as soon as we get out of here. That should be our first priority.”

She could tell Kaylan wanted to say something, but they were interrupted when the man stepped closer. She tried to step back but he quickly knelt and picked her up with one arm behind her knees. By the time she found her breath to start yelling he had already moved to a rock outcropping and set her down. She gave him a confused look as he knelt again. She was about to ask him what he thought he was doing when his fingers probed her swollen ankle and she growled at the pain. She was getting ready to yell when her attention was caught by movement. She looked up and realized the rest of the men had shifted slightly, but they were all watching with frowns.

She tried to ignore the man and ask the rest of them what they were doing in the cave without permission, but another movement drew her gaze. She realized the only light source left was a glowing pool of greenish water behind the group. She was surprised that the phosphorus was glowing through the water, but that thought was replaced with shock when the surface of the water lifted again. Her eyes widened as a wispy tendril lifted away and started passed the group. They all jumped back quickly as they noticed it passing them. The only ones that hadn’t moved were Kaylan, Sherry and the man in front of her.

Kaylan nearly fell over when the tendril kept creeping closer, but Sherry yelled before she could move. “Stop!” At the same time, she yelled and pushed the stranger’s shoulder to get his attention. He frowned up at her, but she only had to motion behind him. He looked back and jumped up at the sight. He moved to grab her out of the path as well but as soon as he moved the tendril shot forward with enough speed to preempt him. Sherry didn’t even have a chance to wonder what the hell was going on before she was wrapped up in green.

Her vision was instantly inundated with images that made no sense to her. The only pattern she could discern was that they all involved the men that had been standing around the cave. She vaguely heard herself scream, but it was like she was seeing it from outside. The images that kept flashing were the only thing she could focus on. Finally, they slowed to a stop and an image of a blonde woman in armor filled her vision. The woman reached out to her before the image dissolved.

When the woman disappeared, Sherry’s vision cleared, and she found herself kneeling with several people surrounding her. She shakily got to her feet and tried to steady herself. She opened her mouth to speak but her attention was drawn by a sharp pain on the underside of her wrist. She flipped it over and her eyes widened as she watched a multicolor geometrical design finished filling out right in front of her eyes. She looked back up to the men that all looked on with confusion as she tried to wrap her head around what just happened. Immediately she started to deny what her subconscious was already telling her. “No! This isn’t real. I must be knocked out still. What the hell!”

The man with purple hair and feathers was the first to speak. “You have become a L’cie.”

She felt herself sway under his words and violently shook her head. The man that had originally offered to help her stepped forward and grasped her elbow before she could fall over. She ignored him as she heard Kaylan call out. “Your leg! There’s… there’s no blood!”

She looked down out of instinct and wished she hadn’t. Not only was there no more blood, but her ankle felt fine. She knew that was impossible, even though she could both see and feel the truth. She tried to jerk out of the man’s hands, but he wouldn’t let her go. He was still staring at the pattern that had appeared. She wanted to scream out her disbelief, but it came out as a whimper. She felt lightheaded, but she pinched her arm to focus. She ignored the men as a sound from Kaylan caught her attention. Her friend looked like she was going to pass out at any moment. The sight helped her to get herself together, so she could focus on her friend. “Kaylan, listen to me. Please sit down right now.”

She wasn’t sure if the girl hadn’t heard her, or if she was incapable of listening at the moment, but she called out louder. “Kaylan!” The shout finally drew her attention and her gaze finally focused. “Sit down.”

When she did as she was asked Sherry spoke up again. “Now, put your head down and take deep breaths. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Count to at least four with each breath.” When she was sure that her friend was finally calming, she turned to the man that still had her arm in his grasp. She tried to keep her fear from her face when she spoke. “Could you please let me go?”

He released her elbow but didn’t move back. She ignored him as her gaze swept across the rest of the group. They all wore wary looks that shifted between the other members of their group and her. She took a deep breath before she spoke. “I don’t know what the hell that was, but it would be great if you could all explain what is going on.”

It was the purple haired man that spoke again. “I cannot say why we are all gathered, but the brand- you are a L’cie.”

She shook her head again. “L’cie aren’t real. That’s impossible.” She took a step back and bumped into the wall. It was at that point that she realized the pool that had been giving off the phosphorus green light was gone. She looked around for the new light source and had to hold back a scream as she noticed three of the men were holding fireballs in their hands, including the one right next to her. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to scream or run but she did neither. She couldn’t hold back her curse. “Fuck!”

The same man that had spoken earlier stepped closer and was looking down at her hand as he spoke again. “I have never seen a brand such as that. Where is the Fal’cie?”

She refused to acknowledge his statement. Instead she glared at him. “Alright, _Caius_ , back up, now.” She glared at the man standing next to her as well. “You too, _Genesis._ ”

Both men gave her shocked looks, but they moved enough for her to get passed them. She immediately moved to her friend and took her by the arm to help her stand. “Are you alright now?”

The girl gave her a nod, but she could tell she was still freaked out as she looked around at the gathered men. The redhead finally spoke up with a furrow between his brows. “You have me at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I have not had the pleasure of hearing yours.”

She scoffed at him and then pointed to each man as she spoke. “Genesis, Caius, Noel, Cloud, Zack, and Sephiroth. Just because I know who you are pretending to be doesn’t mean anything.” She tried to keep her voice from cracking as she spoke. As hard as she was trying to convince herself the men in front of her were acting, the sting on her wrist was telling her she knew she was lying to herself.

All of the men gave her looks of shock at her knowledge. The one with silver hair finally stepped forward. “Who are you and how did you bring me here, wherever here may be?”

The other three men still looked shell shocked as she backed away from them all. She tried to keep her breathing under control as she tried to deal with the weight of the three glares. Her wrist gave another sharp pang and she looked at it reflexively. It had already started to change, and she realized that as impossible as it might seem, this was really happening. She nearly dropped to her knees again, but she managed to lock them in place and face all six men. She grimaced as she spoke. “Let’s say I believe this is really happening. Even if it is, I have no idea what the hell is going on. Kaylan and I were just exploring these caves while we’re here for the week camping. I probably have less idea about what’s going on than any of you.”

Caius finally spoke up again. “You didn’t receive a focus?”

She clenched her jaw to keep from snapping at him and took a deep breath. “Ok.” She had to take another before she could speak. Her brain was still in shock at everything that had happened in the last few minutes. “I did see something, but I really don’t understand it.”

He nodded his head as if he understood. “I have heard of others that could not completely understand their focus at first. Do you know the Fal’cie that marked you? If so, you might be able to better understand.”

She shook her head as she looked around. Most of the men wore looks of disbelief and they all looked like they had something to say. She glanced at Kaylan who still looked like she was either ready to bolt or faint and she gave her friend’s arm a comforting squeeze. She finally turned back to the gathered people with a sigh. “There are no Fal’cie here. I’m nearly positive it was done by a Goddess anyway.”

Caius’ eyebrows shot up and his voice was reverent when he spoke. “You were marked by Etro directly?”

She shook her head and couldn’t stop from glancing at Genesis from the corner of her eye. “No, I’m pretty sure it was Minerva.”

Caius gave her a confused look and it was Genesis’ turn to look shocked. They both murmured the name she had just spoke. Genesis was reverent where Caius was confused. She sighed and shook her head. “I know I am confused as hell, so I imagine you are too. We can discuss this until we’re blue in the face, but can we get out of here first. I have a burning desire to see the sky right now.”

She didn’t wait to get an answer before she helped Kaylan to the rock she had been sitting on. “Stay here and yell if anyone gets close. I’m going to check the tunnel and see if it’s completely blocked.”

The girl gave her a frightened look, but she squeezed her hand and gave her a smile before she headed back to the tunnel they had come in from. Her back was stiff as she walked passed the men and ignored their gazes. It was Cloud that moved first. He stepped up beside her and his voice was quiet when he spoke. “I’m not sure what is going on, but I’ll help.” He looked back over his shoulder with a glare at the silver haired man she was still trying to ignore. 

She gave him a small smile and finally glanced back as well. The others had started to move toward her, but they were giving each other wary looks and weren’t making much progress. Finally, she stopped and looked back at them a little more closely. Sephiroth was the first she looked over and his brow raised at her evaluating look. Before he could speak, she realized there was something important about all of them. She held up her hand as she quickly looked around.

Genesis didn’t show any signs of degradation and Sephiroth, while glaring, did not have an evil smirk. Zack was wearing his First Class uniform and she also noticed that Cloud was wearing an outfit that was not a Soldier or infantry uniform. As for Noel and Caius, they both wore outfits made of leather, fur, feathers and beads. It was most noteworthy on Caius since he wasn’t wearing his black body armor.

Her own shock was hard to modulate as she realized that it was probable that none of these men were from the same time. Finally, she spoke up, looking to Sephiroth first. “What was the last thing you remember before you got here?” His scowl deepened, and she shook her head. “Please. I know you want answers, but I need to know what was going on. I have a feeling I will be just as affected by all this as any of you.”

His scowl didn’t go away, but he finally answered. “I was on a mission when our transport was attacked by a dragon. We defeated it easily, but I was separated from the others. The ground opened up underneath me and before I could jump out of the way, I found myself here.”

She gave him a nod but paused before speaking. “Were you on the way to… Nibelheim?”

The man next to her stiffened and she grabbed his arm. Sephiroth gave her a shocked look. “That is classified, how did you know?”

She shook her head and didn’t answer. Instead she turned to the blond next to her. “ _Think._ Think about what that means.”

His brow furrowed before his eyes widened in shock. “That’s impossible!”

She shook her head again and looked to Zack. The youngest First was looking at the man next to her as if he were not sure what he was seeing. She waved her hand in front of him and got his attention. “I imagine you remember the mission Sephiroth was just talking about as well, don’t you?”

He looked at her briefly before he looked around again. It seemed as if he were seeing all of the others for the first time. Cloud wore the same shocked look as he walked over to Zack. “Zack, you’re alive.”

The tall boy in front of Cloud gave him a funny look before he gave him a bright smile. “Of course I am!” He finally looked at what Cloud was wearing and confusion covered his face again before he looked back at Sherry. “What is going on here?”

She gave him a sad look before she turned to address all of them. “I don’t really know what is going on, but it looks like you all come from different points in time, not just different planets.”

Noel finally spoke up for the first time. “Different times I might be able to understand, but different planets? That’s too weird.”

She nodded. “I understand, but you have to realize that this isn’t Pulse.” She turned to the other four. “It isn’t Gaia either. You’re on Earth. I know that doesn’t mean anything to any of you but trust me. If I could become a L’cie, then the rest is feasible as well.” She glanced down at her brand once again with a grimace.

At that point several of them tried to speak at once. She held up a hand and raised her voice to try and be heard above the din. “Enough!” When most of them looked back to her with shocked faces she continued. “I know it’s hard to believe. I’m barely keeping my own mind in check, but we can’t figure anything out until we get out of here. Can we all please just table our differences and questions until we can accomplish that much. Once we get out, I will do my best to answer questions, so we can all figure this out.”

There was silence for several moments before Genesis broke it. “Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess. It would seem we have no choice but to comply for the moment. We are getting nowhere as it is.”

She gave him a nod and moved to help Kaylan. She whispered reassurances to her younger friend as she moved them both to stand in front of the cave in. She grimaced at the sight of it now that she could see it better. It was a wall of rubble. She couldn’t see over the top and she was hesitant to try and dig through it. The last thing they needed was to make their situation worse. She turned to the rest and tried to hide her grim look. “We can’t go back the way we came, but these caves are all interconnected. I’m pretty sure I saw another tunnel on the other side of this cavern. Let’s see where it leads.”

No one looked happy about their options, but there was very little speaking as they all moved to cross to a darker patch across the towering cavern. When they reached it and confirmed it was a tunnel, she had to bite back on her relief. There was still no guarantee that this would lead to a way out. She still had Kaylan’s hand in hers and she faked a smile as she pulled her forward. “It may take us a while, but I’m sure this will connect to one of the tunnels we’ve already been in.” She could tell her false cheer did little to assuage her friend’s doubts, but no one said anything else as they all followed her into the blackness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, I know most of you will already know, but for any that might not, larping means Live Action Role Playing. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you it was eating up my mind :) Please enjoy!

##  **Chapter 2**

As they started down the tunnel Sherry pulled her lantern around to see why it had quit working. It might have been broken, but if it had just been shut off, they could use the extra light. Anything to make the fireballs go away would be fine with her. She was relieved to see that the casing wasn’t cracked, so she checked the batteries and banged it a couple of times to see if she could at least get it going for a while. She breathed a sigh of relief when it finally flickered back on.

Once it was on again, she passed it to Kaylan and had her pass the other one back. She repeated the inspection of the other lantern and was even happier to find that the secondary one had just been shut off. She was even more relieved that she didn’t have to say anything to the others. As soon as the first lantern had flickered on, they had allowed the fireballs to go out.

Under different circumstances, she might have been fascinated by the display of magic, but at the moment it was a harsh reminder that her life was never going to be the same. She pushed that thought back as she didn’t want to focus on what being a L’cie meant while she was still around strangers. And she definitely considered them strangers, even if she knew who they were.

They hadn’t traveled far before the tunnel they were in narrowed slightly and started a slight incline. It made Sherry a little nervous, as they had climbed several inclines to get to the room they had found the rest in. If they were going to intersect with one of the tunnels they passed through earlier, they would need to find a way down as well. So far it was a moot point as it was a single tunnel. The one time they thought they found something, all it took was a light shined in to realize it only went back about ten feet.

She tried to keep an eye on the rest of the group as they continued to climb. She smiled slightly at the sight of Zack with an arm around Cloud’s shoulder. The shorter man was trying to smile back, but she could tell it was strained. Her heart broke a little at the realization that this had to be hard for him. Not only was the man he considered an enemy nearby, but the friend he thought he had lost was chatting up a storm. She cringed as she also realized that the next few days were going to be hell for her. She had no idea how to tell them how she knew who they were.

She noticed that most of the others were watching her as much as she was watching them. If they caught her eye when she looked back, they gave her questioning glances, but she ignored them all. She needed time to think before she could even try to formulate an answer.

They had been walking for nearly an hour when Zack tried to approach her. She rebuffed his attempts to start a conversation, even though she felt a little bad for it. She was surprised however when he turned to talk to Kaylan and managed to help her relax. She smiled at the sight of the two of them talking animatedly about nothing. She felt a little relieved that he wasn’t bombarding her with questions. It was doubly good since the only thing she knew about the men around them was what Sherry had told her through the years. It wasn’t that they both didn’t game, but Kaylan was stressed out by turn base, and Sherry hated shooters. It worked for their friendship though.

It wasn’t long after Zack had Kaylan thoroughly occupied that one of the others made a move to join her. She was relieved that it was Noel, but she treated him the same way she had Zack. Noel was more persistent though. He ignored the fact that she wasn’t really answering and kept talking. “I can understand why you might be hesitant to talk to us if we do come from different times, and I guess I can see why you might think that. Caius… he doesn’t seem much like the Caius I knew.”

She finally turned to him and gave him a nod. “I imagine not. Given the way he is dressed…” She let her voice trail off as she looked back and noticed they were all listening to her intently. Finally, she turned slightly and looked at the man in question while she walked backwards. She was glad that Noel reached out to steady her when she nearly tripped on the uneven floor. She gave him a smile but didn’t turn back around. Instead she spoke. “Caius, have you met Yuel yet?”

She heard Noel gasp next to her but ignored it. Her gaze was focused on Caius’ frown. It took him a moment, but he finally answered. “I am her apprentice guardian. How do you know of her?”

She gave him a sad look before looking back to Noel finally. The look he gave her was confused, but she ignored the question in his eyes. She turned back to Caius. “I’m sorry you got pulled away from your duties. I’ll do everything I can to get you back quickly.” She looked at the others. “That goes for all of you.”

She didn’t wait for a response before she turned back around. She knew the present conversation probably made more questions than what they had before, but her mind was already a whirlwind. Noel lowered his voice when he finally spoke again. “He came to the village when Yuel was born and has always been her guardian. He was never an apprentice.”

She gave him a level look and tried to hide her sadness at what she was about to say. “You were right. That isn’t the Caius you know.”

At that Noel finally fell back. She was glad that no one else tried to talk to her, although it looked as if both Cloud and Genesis thought about it. She knew she would need to talk to Cloud and Noel both by themselves at some point since they both represented the end of the timeline for both worlds. She tried not to think about what might happen to them both if things worked out the way she was suspecting they were supposed to, at least according to the images she was still trying to sort through.

The group continued on for another half hour in relative silence. Even Zack had lowered his voice when he realized he was really the only one talking. They were brought up short when the ground seemed to fall away in front of them. Sherry knelt down and got as close to the edge as she could with the lantern. She was glad that the edge seemed stable. She was also glad when she found that she could see the ground below them. It was about fifteen feet or so, but not so bad that they couldn’t climb down.

As she moved to sit back, something down at the edge of her vision glittered in the light. She laid down on her stomach and leaned down a little further. It looked like the tunnel below them was at a crossroads so to speak. She could feel her heart speeding up at the possibility, but she clamped down on it. She didn’t want to get any of their hopes up until they could tell for sure. She called back over her shoulder. “Hey, would one of you guys with enhanced eyesight come here for a moment please.”

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand came down on her shoulder. She looked over to see Genesis had already moved to her side. She scowled at him for making her jump but managed to keep her voice neutral. “Can you tell me what you see in the adjoining tunnel below, there at the edge?”

She tried to point to what she was looking at, but he gave her a smirk before he jumped down. She stared at him in shock as he calmly walked to the edge of the light and looked back at her. She shook her head at his obvious enjoyment of showing off as he turned back to her. “What are you looking for?”

She ignored his tone of voice as she pointed again. “Can you tell me if there is anything on the wall to your right?”

He looked back again before he looked up. “There is a small red arrow here. It is pointing to the tunnel behind me.”

“Yes!” She realized how exuberant her exclamation was and tried to be a little calmer as he gave her a strange look. “I marked all the pathways we took with an arrow back to the entrance, so we could easily backtrack when we got ready to leave. If there is a red arrow there, then we can easily find our way out. We just need to get everyone down.”

She heard a couple of excited voices behind her and smiled. When she stood however, she had to keep from jumping again. Sephiroth had come up next to her and was looking down. He looked back at her with a blank look and his voice didn’t betray anything either. At least his words were polite. “I can jump down as well. Genesis and I can assist the rest of you.”

She gave him a nod. “Thank you. It would be appreciated.”

He didn’t wait for further response before jumping down to join Genesis. They both looked up expectantly. She turned to figure out how the rest of them would get down, but Zack and Cloud moved passed her with just a smile as they both jumped as well. Caius and Noel moved to start climbing down as soon as the way was clear. That left her at the top with Kaylan. She gave her friend a smile and squeezed her hand. “I’m sure we can find a way down as soon as Caius and Noel are out of the way.”

She gave her a nod but they both jumped when Genesis called up. “Jump. I will catch you. It isn’t that far.”

She glowered at him over the edge. “Maybe not, but I’ve already broken one bone today. I don’t want to take the chance of it happening again.”

He looked at her with consternation, but it was Sephiroth that spoke up. “He is correct. Neither of us would allow you to fall. You can both jump instead of trying to find footholds. Besides, there is a good seven feet of open air where the other tunnel travels below the one we were in.”

She hadn’t realized one of the tunnels ran directly below them as well, but it would mean that they would have to jump the last bit even if they did climb down. She took a deep breath and turned to Kaylan. “I trust that they won’t hurt us. Do you want to go first, or do you want me to?”

The girl gave her a wide-eyed stare. “I don’t want to jump at all, but I will if you can prove it won’t hurt.”

Sherry laughed at her tone. She was glad to see that she had gotten passed the shock. “Fine, I’ll go first. Just don’t take too long after I’m down.” She waited for Kaylan to nod and then called out to the ones waiting below. “Ok, I’m jumping now.”

She took a step forward, but hesitated. When she heard a grumble coming from the gathered men she finally sighed and jumped. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. She maneuvered her body so that she would land on her feet if they did miss her, but it wasn’t even a full second before she collided with something that forced out a grunt. She opened her eyes to see red leather and black knit. When she was jostled and then let down, she realized he must have jumped to meet her. She blushed slightly when she realized his arms were still around her waist. She didn’t comment though. Instead she pushed away and turned to look up. The distance seemed much farther from this angle, but she wasn’t going to say that right before Kaylan jumped. Instead she tried to keep her voice even. “I’m safe. Go ahead and jump.”

She stepped back as Genesis once again jumped up slightly to meet Kaylan midair and then set her down. He steadied her once he let go but quickly turned to Sherry. “You said from this point we should be able to follow the arrows out?”

She moved to where he had been standing previously and smiled at the arrow she found before turning back to him with a nod. “Yes, that is exactly why I put them there.”

She caught Sephiroth giving her an evaluating look, but she ignored it and grabbed Kaylan’s hand. “I’m ready to clean off. Let’s get out of here.” They all fell into step again, but at least the girls were in a visibly better mood. Sherry’s mind was a little lighter. It was still full trying to sort everything out, but it no longer held the worry she had been trying to ignore.

It only took them another hour to finally make it back to the entrance. The going had been much quicker as they had a better idea of their direction and didn’t have to go slow or miss something. Once they were out Sherry ran a little away from the cave entrance and raised her hands up. She was smiling brightly when she reached back for Kaylan’s hands and twirled her around a couple of times. They both collapsed into laughter before they were brought back to the moment by a male chuckling. They both turned to see Zack amused by their antics. Even Cloud had a smile.

Sherry ignored the rest of them. “I’m just happy to be out of there. I guarantee that I will never be able to convince Kaylan to go into a cave with me again. And she thought spiders would be bad to run into. Hmph.”

She turned to the trail that led up to the cave mouth and called back over her shoulder. “Camp is this way.” Several of them obviously had something they wanted to say, but they all held their tongues and followed the woman that had somehow become their guide.

It was another twenty minutes before they finally arrived at a small clearing. Most of them would have missed it through the trees if it hadn’t been for the fact that they were guided there. They all took a moment to look around. Caius in particular moved straight to the tent that was still set up and ran a hand over the material before looking back at the girls. “This is your shelter?”

Sherry had been moving around to gather the things needed to start the fire back up, so she stopped and turned to his curious look. “Yes, it’s not so good for cold weather, but it isn’t fall quite yet. It will keep the rain and bugs out, so it’s good enough.”

He looked back to the flimsy material and then looked around once more. His voice held a little more than curiosity this time. “You live here?”

She couldn’t hold back a laugh when she responded again. “No, we are only camping. I’m on vacation and I managed to convince Kaylan to take off with me. Her boyfriend would have been here too, but he couldn’t get out of work. We will go ahead and head back tomorrow, but I’m too tired to make the trip tonight. We’ll figure out sleeping arrangements in a little bit. Let me get the fire started and I’ll figure out a meal. I don’t know if any of you are hungry or not, but I’m starving.”

The rest of the group had been wandering through their little camp and trying not to look too curious, at least most of them were trying to be restrained. Zack wasn’t bothering to hide his curiosity. When she mentioned eating though, he turned to her with a big grin. “Food sounds great!”

She shook her head at his enthusiasm. “Don’t expect much. We weren’t planning on having more than the two of us, so we don’t have a lot. It should be enough, but, well, you get the picture.”

He looked almost stricken at her words. “Don’t think you have to stretch for us. I’m sure we can wait.”

She almost wanted to kick herself at the fact that he had taken her words wrong. “Don’t worry. We were expecting to stay for another five days, so there will be more than enough for everyone for just one night and breakfast. I just meant that it isn’t anything fancy since we were only planning for meals for us.”

His face lit up again at her explanation. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

She started to decline his offer, but she paused. “Actually, could you take those canteens down to the river and fill them please?”

She started to point him toward the trail to the water, but he already had them in hand and was heading the right way. He gave her a grin as he took off. “I can hear the water in the distance, so I guess it’s not far. I’ll be right back!”

She laughed lightly at his enthusiasm. When she turned back around, she caught sight of Genesis and Sephiroth and sent up silent thanks that if she was going to have to put up with the two of them, then at least she had Zack to balance it out. After the exuberant Soldier disappeared silence fell once again. Sherry was still trying to put off a conversation, so she was focused on getting the fire started. The sun had finally started to settle below the top of the surrounding hills and the air was just a little chilly.

Once they had the fire going and the pot heating up, she pulled out the rest of their food and tried to figure out the best meal. It wasn’t much since it was all stuff that could keep, but she managed to quickly put together enough for all of them. Zack had already made his way back and grinned at her when she handed him a paper plate. The others gave varied thanks. Genesis was the worst. He glared at the flimsy plate but still managed to thank her for her hospitality. She had to fight hard not to roll her eyes.

Once they were all done eating, she gathered up the trash and then sat down. She knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. She looked up and around at them all. She wasn’t surprised when that was all it took for the scattered talking to cease. She sighed before she started. “I know you all want to know how I know who you are and what is going on. I don’t have all the answers, but I can try to explain how I know your names and faces at least. You might want to get comfortable as this probably won’t be pleasant.”


	3. Chapter 3

##  **Chapter 3**

Sherry had to swallow a couple of times and take a sip from her water before she could manage to get her voice working right. She could tell by the barely restrained glares she was getting, that most of the group was coming to the end of their patience. She finally looked up at the canopy of leaves that were barely visible and started talking. “Let me start off with telling you all that I had no idea something like this would happen today. Honestly, this is the last thing I ever expected to become reality.”

She paused at that and finally looked around again. The glares were no longer being held back, but Genesis spoke into her brief silence. “You didn’t expect this to become reality, yet you are familiar with who we all are. How is that possible?”

She shook her head at his tone and reminded herself that it was expected for them to be wary. She was surprised they had bothered to play nice and follow her up to this point. She was sure the display in the cave was part of it, at least for some of them, but she didn’t expect it to keep her safe for long. “Because to me, and everyone on this planet that might recognize you, your stories are just that, stories. I wouldn’t have believed you to be anything other than people pretending to be characters out of tales I love if it weren’t for the fact that… someone… decided that I needed to be roped into their will.”

She couldn’t hide the bitter note in her voice and she looked away from them all as she tried to get herself back under control. She was surprised that Caius was the first to speak. “It is an honor to be made L’cie.”

She glared at him, but Sephiroth stepped in before she could retort. “Your words only make more questions. What happened with the mako earlier that made you change your mind? You originally accused us of wearing costumes and… larping? What is that?”

She barely bit back a sigh. She knew the whole situation was going to cause her headaches, but she also knew she couldn’t afford to walk away. Her eyes flicked down to her wrist, and even though she couldn’t see the mark on the underside, she could feel its presence. Her look was hard when she finally answered him. “I didn’t realize that was mako, although it makes sense. When it surrounded me, I was branded and given a focus.” She held up her wrist for them all to see. She knew it wasn’t necessary as they had all seen it previously, but it helped make her point. “I know most of you have no idea what that means, but for people on Pulse, and Cocoon as well, there are powerful creatures called Fal’cie. Most people consider them god-like, although that isn’t quite the case. The Fal’cie will occasionally choose a person to fulfill certain quests. They are given a brand similar to mine which allows them to be faster, stronger, etc. It also allows them to use magic.”

At that Genesis sat forward. “Magic, without materia?” She nodded. His eyes widened before he spoke again. “Show me.”

She frowned at him. “You do realize I haven’t the slightest clue how to do that yet? Just because I know what this means doesn’t mean I automatically know how to control it. Did you hear me when I said these were all just stories to me before that happened?”

Her gaze flicked to Caius when he spoke again. “The Fal’cie all have certain things that they hold dominion over. It is not unusual for the L’cie they brand to be focused on the same thing. If you were branded by a Goddess though, there is no telling what that might mean.” He paused and gave Genesis a curious glance before continuing. “No magic is possible without the brand however. What is materia and what does it have to do with magic?”

At that Genesis’ eyes widened further, but Sherry spoke up. “Just like you can only perform magic as a L’cie on Pulse, on Gaia you can only use magic if you have the corresponding materia. The magic doesn’t actually come from the orbs, they allow the wielder to focus the planet’s energies into certain spells. They are supposed to be the concentrated experience of the Ancients, the Cetra. Both of your planets are different, but the kicker is that magic doesn’t exist on Earth at all. Here, it is only heard of in legends and stories, or illusions to wow people for entertainment.”

They all paused at that. She could tell the three men that had spoken so far were lost in thought. Cloud was the one to step up into the silence. “If magic is only in legends here, and you know us from stories, would that not mean that our worlds are connected in some way? How would you know otherwise?”

She really wished she had something hard to bang her head against, she was so frustrated. “I don’t think the stories of you all are supposed to be legends. They are literally just stories to entertain people. Obviously, all our worlds must have some common ground, but honestly, I think it has more to do with the will of the gods, or goddesses in this case, instead if any inherent bridge. If you went up to any other person on this planet, even if they did recognize you, they would compliment your costumes and ask how you got them so authentic. None of them would believe you are who you are though. The _only_ reason I do, is because some ethereal being saw fit to fuck with my life.”

Caius gave her a hard look at her obvious displeasure before he spoke in a sharp tone. “You should consider yourself lucky. It is an honor to be chosen. If you do not feel it is, or you refuse to finish your focus-“

She cut him off at that point. “Don’t! Don’t you dare try to dictate to me. Don’t even bring that up. I am _not_ from Pulse and I don’t appreciate what happened. That doesn’t mean I won’t fulfill my focus.” Her voice became less than a whisper before she continued. “I don’t want to consider the alternative.”

Caius looked like he wanted to say something else at her defiant tone, but she stood up and glared at him. “Are you a L’cie yet?”

At her challenge, he stood and bared a geometric pattern similar to her own in the center of his chest, although the shapes and colors were different. She looked at it for a moment before she chuckled without any true mirth. “Of course, that’s where it’d be.” He gave her a strange look, but she didn’t allow him to question her. “I understand why you feel the way you do, just don’t expect everyone to share your enthusiasm, alright?”

She again didn’t allow him to speak before she turned to the rest. “I know you are all probably more confused now than you were before, and, trust me, so am I. I can’t give you answers I don’t have though. We can go back to my home tomorrow and I will try to explain the stories further, but I need time to try to sort out the images given to me before I can even try to have a plan. All I know for sure is that my focus includes all of you. I’m sure we were all brought to the same place for a reason, so, give me time please.” There was a loud huff and several glares, but she ignored them. “You don’t have to trust me, all I ask is that you give me time. You are free to leave, of course, but be mindful that this isn’t your worlds, no matter how much you think I don’t know what I’m talking about.”

At that point she turned to the three that had been the quietest. “I will also ask that you three take the time to really observe. I doubt things are as you remember them.”

She knew her words were cryptic, but she was sure they would be smart enough to figure it out. The only one she was really worried about was Cloud, and only because he had suffered so many times at the hands of the same man. She only hoped he would at least be willing to watch before he made a move. If he did, she was sure he would stay his hand, for the moment anyway.

She didn’t wait for further response before she moved to the small tent. “For now, I plan on going to clean all this dust off me and then figure out how we can at least get a few hours sleep tonight. I’m hoping I’ll have a clearer head tomorrow. All I ask is that none of you kill anyone. Please?”

She knew several of them gave her startled glares, but she ignored them as she ducked into her tent and grabbed the things she would need to clean up with as well as her night clothes. When she ducked back out, she noticed they were all still staring at her, but she continued to ignore them and headed to the path to the water. On her way she grabbed Kaylan’s arm and hauled her part way down the path before she stopped. She kept her voice as low as she could. “I know this is weird and you are probably more freaked out than anyone but thank you for keeping cool. I would still recommend that you sleep in the car tonight. I will probably join you after I figure out what to do with everyone else.”

Kaylan gave her a slow nod before speaking up. “I know that no one would ever believe what I saw today, but there is no way this is normal. The only reason I haven’t started screaming and running is because you’re here. I won’t leave you, especially not with a bunch of weirdos. I may recognize a couple of them, but there is no way I can trust them.”

“I know. I don’t know if trust is the exact word I have for them, but if they are really like what their stories indicate, then they all at least have honor, even if they are killers. I doubt they would harm you, at least, but I’d rather not take any chances. If you want, I can wait here until you get in the car.”

Kaylan gave her a slight smile and a nod. “I would actually appreciate it. Thanks.”

Sherry smiled at her and walked back far enough that she could see the camp. Kaylan gave her another smile before she headed straight for the tent. She was in there several minutes before she came back out in her night clothes and headed straight for the SUV. Sherry waited until she heard the click of the locks once her friend was inside and then turned back to the water without another word.

* * *

Genesis watched the exchange with interest and then smirked when he realized why their hostess had returned. He didn’t really blame them, as the gathered men all gave off auras of power. He only knew a couple of them, but there was obviously some kind of connection. His mind had been going nonstop trying to figure it out since the point he watched her be wrapped in mako. He had never seen anything like it before and it raised his curiosity to new levels. It especially intrigued him that the woman didn’t seem to be afraid of them, not even Sephiroth, and that was more than unusual. She had hardly given the Silver General more than a few cursory glances, no more than any of the rest of them. If anything, she had looked to the purple haired man more than any of them. Although he doubted that meant she was afraid of him either. She was a true conundrum.

She had only been gone a few minutes when Genesis stood to follow her. He ignored Sephiroth warningly calling out his name, but he stopped when the Puppy blocked his path. He glowered at the younger man. He hadn’t failed to notice Angeal’s apprentice was wearing the uniform of a First, but that was the least of his worries. His tone was sharp when he spoke. “I am unsure why you seem to have a problem with me Puppy, but I will not hesitate to move you.”

Zack’s usually smiling face was drawn into a frown. “I guess if what the woman said is true then I can understand why you might not get it, but there is no reason for you to go down that path right now.” He crossed his arms and dared Genesis to disagree.

“I wish to speak to our hostess. I have no ulterior motives. Despite what you may think of me, I do have honor. Angeal would never forgive me if I didn’t keep it.”

At the mention of Angeal, Zack looked like he wanted to hit Genesis, again, but Cloud called out to him. “Zack, it’ll be okay. She did ask us not to fight, right? Something tells me if she has a problem with him following her, she can handle it. She… reminds me of someone, and I know they wouldn’t put up with anything they didn’t want to.”

Zack didn’t look mollified, but he stood down. Before Genesis walked off though Zack grabbed his arm. “I’ll be listening. If she tells you go, and you don’t, then I’ll make sure to take care of it.”

Genesis smirked at him again but didn’t answer as he made his way toward the sound of water. He hadn’t gone far before the sound of music started. He paused and listened. It was a song that he was unfamiliar with, but it had a soothing melody. He quietly continued down until he reached the edge of the trees. The moon had finally started to come out and it was nearly full. The light of the clear night was reflected back off the water and it made the area around the river bright enough for an unenhanced person to see well. For him, he was able to see that their hostess clearly where she was already in the water. She dipped her head under and was gone for several seconds before she reappeared halfway across the river. 

He didn’t move for several minutes. Instead he stood and watched her as she started to softly sing along with the music. He could tell that she was untrained, but her voice was clear and pretty. She dipped her head back again and ran her fingers through it several times before she seemed to relax into the water. She floated for several moments, only occasionally moving her arms and legs to keep from being washed down river.

Her voice continued to softly fill the air. When the song changed, it became a harsher beat, much more dramatic. His gaze was drawn to a small device that looked similar to a PHS when the voices accompanying the music started. It was a language he had never heard before, but the woman still sang along. He could see a slight smile on her face until two things happened at once. He heard something completely unexpected, and she stood with widened eyes. The sound of his friend’s name coming from her device distracted him for a moment, but he didn’t hesitate to go and pick it up.

She had noticed his presence by that point as she was quickly making her way back to shore. Her gaze was nearly panicked. When she reached him, she held out her hand and he could hear a note of pleading in her voice. “Please let me have that.”

He smirked at her before responding. “First I would appreciate it if you would tell me why they are singing about Sephiroth, and what exactly they are saying.”

Her face drew into a frown. “I don’t remember the translation. It’s part of the stories I told you about. This goes along with them. Now please, let me have it. I’m sure the sound will carry.” She still held out her hand, but her voice lowered to the point that even he had to pay attention to hear her. “Over 6000 songs on that thing and that had to be the one to play.”

His brow rose at her last comment, but he didn’t hand it back right away. Instead he took the opportunity to really look at her. He had not noticed the fact that she was only wearing her underwear until he looked down. She seemed to not have noticed yet either. His look turned to one of shock when he saw that she had several tattoos. None of them had been visible with her t-shirt on. What surprised him the most was the one that was nestled between her breasts. He didn’t have the chance to comment though when she realized what he was staring at.

He nearly laughed when her face went through several shades of red before settling on the darkest one. She instantly turned and grabbed the towel she had brought with her. He watched in silence as she dried off and put on the tank top and shorts she had brought with her. She tried to pull the front of her shirt up before her shoulders slumped and she turned back to him with a scowl. “Whatever, you’ve seen it anyway. And before you ask, yes, it is what you think it is, and no I’m not explaining. You can just deal with it tonight.”

He finally let a chuckle loose. This woman was proving to be not only unafraid of them, but interesting as well. The fact that she had a tattoo of his sword between her breasts only added to his curiosity. How detailed were the stories she spoke of? She glared at him as she picked up the shoes the music device had been propped against and then stomped off back in the direction of camp. He turned to follow her with it still in hand, marveling at the fact that the song had changed once again. This time it was a beat that was primal. He wondered how many different songs could be on such a small piece of electronics, but then he remembered that she had said over 6000. He looked at it again as he followed her back to camp. He wondered if he could figure out how to make it work to see what other secrets it held. He noticed only one button, but when he pressed it all it showed were nine numbers and a prompt for a passcode. His eyebrow rose at the security. What else did this carry if security was required.

By the time they had made it back to camp he watched with a raised brow as she continued to stomp around. He ignored the glares of both Sephiroth and Zack as he watched her. Finally, she stood with several things in her arms and turned to address them. She completely ignored him and instead address the Puppy and the one with gravity defying blond hair. “I don’t really have much to make you guys comfortable with here, but we have those chairs, as well as the tent. If you can stand it, two of you will fit in there with the sleeping bags just fine. I have a couple of extra blankets too. I’m going to sleep in the car with Kaylan, so you guys can decide who gets what. We can discuss any questions you might have tomorrow on the way back.”

She handed her armload over to the blond before she finally turned back to him. Her glare was heated, but he only gave her one of his charming smiles. It widened slightly when her face heated again before she spoke. “You’ve had enough sport with that. Can I please have it back now.”

He really wanted to find out what other secrets it might hold, but he knew that a tactical retreat for the moment might better serve his curiosity in the long run. He handed it back to her with a flourish. “There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the goddess.”

He was slightly surprised when his words only made her scowl harder. Her face cleared before she spoke though. “I know I can’t get you to quit quoting Loveless, but can you at least not quote it to me?”

His eyes widened but she didn’t give him a chance to respond. As soon as she had her device in hand, she moved to the vehicle the other girl had gotten into. She pulled something out of her pockets and they heard a click before she opened the door. They heard it click again after she was in.

The rest of them sat in silence for several moments after she had retreated. Finally, the blond moved to set down the burden she had transferred to him and spoke quietly. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I won’t be sleeping tonight.”

He didn’t say anything else before he moved to lean against the side of the vehicle the girls were sleeping in. He looked back over his shoulder and Genesis noted the woman gave him a nod and a smile before she leaned back in the seat she occupied. She closed her eyes, but he could see she was still fidgeting. He had a feeling they would not be the only ones with a sleepless night. He looked around and found that none of them looked comfortable enough to sleep.

Without another word he stood and walked back to the trail that led to the caves. They all had much to think about and more questions than answers, but he had no plans to simply sit around and wait. He didn’t want to abandon the woman who had obviously been touched by something extraordinary, but he was not one to sit idly by while others dictated his actions either. No one said a word to him as he walked off, although he was sure it was only because they were all thinking along the same lines. It didn’t surprise him to see several of the others take off in different directions as he was leaving.


	4. Chapter 4

##  **Chapter 4**

Genesis walked to the small mountain the caves had been in before he diverted up the slope. There were parts of it that were steep, but for any that he couldn’t just jump up, he was easily able to pull himself up. When he made it to the top, he found that his view was still hampered somewhat by the trees, but not so much that he couldn’t see what was obviously a village in the distance. He was surprised when he realized that it was much too far for even him to reach before morning, or at least not and still be able to return before their hostess had time to panic at his absence. Although he wasn’t sure if she would. Something told him she had fully expected them all to try and ascertain the truth of her words.

He wondered briefly if the others had any better luck before he jumped up into one of the closest trees to see if he could find a better view. With the moon as bright as it was, he should have been able to see most things almost as well as if it had been daylight. Once he was up, he thought he could see the tale tell sign of another village behind one of the neighboring hills, but he could only see the light reflected in the night sky and not any lights directly. It seemed as though they were truly isolated. He wondered how far away the women had to travel to find a spot like this. He could not ever remember seeing a place on Gaia like it, although he could freely admit he hadn’t been everywhere. Still he had been enough places that her story was sounding more likely.

He had been inclined to believe her anyway, as the incident with the mako left little room for doubt. Even if she had been manipulating it, that would make her a force to be reckoned with. Either way, he knew they would need to follow her, if for no other reason than to figure out if she had been the cause of their displacement, or to find a way back if she was not. He spent another hour or so simply watching the night, to see if anything changed before he finally decided to head back. Even if he had no plans to sleep, he didn’t want to delay their leaving in the morning. The quicker they could find answers, the quicker they could return.

* * *

As soon as the sun was up the next morning, Sherry was up so they could get things ready to leave. She felt a wave of panic when she noted that only four of the six men were still at camp. Both Sephiroth and Caius were gone. She had known they left the night before but had hoped they would have returned. There was no telling what kind of dangers they could get into in the unfamiliar world, or what kind of trouble they could cause. Once the panic died down though, she realized it was unavoidable. These were all men that were used to being masters of their own lives. It wasn’t surprising that they had to verify her words. She only hoped they realized they would have to work together if any of them planned on getting their lives back; the men anyway. She was still bitter at the fact that her life was irrevocably changed. She didn’t let it show though, as she started to direct the remaining people in cleaning up, so they could leave.

Once they had everything stacked up except for the tent, she had saved breaking it down for last, she realized that it might be good for them to be short by two people. Even though she had an SUV, travel would have been tight with all of them; even if she left all her supplies behind. It was supposed to be able to fit seven, but the back seat was only big enough for two people that weren’t too tall and most of the men were huge.

It was as she was debating whether to leave the stuff and come back for it later that both of the missing men returned. They were walking together, which caused Sherry to worry a little, but at least they didn’t seem to have any animosity between them. When they stopped, it was Caius that spoke. “It would seem that you have shared the truth with us so far, even if that truth has been limited. Given what I have already seen, I will agree that your focus has something to do with helping us. I cannot in good conscience walk away from your assistance and doom you to a horrible fate without at least giving you a chance. That doesn’t mean I plan to be complacent though. If I feel you are not doing all you can, I will leave, no matter what world I find myself in.”

“I will also go along for now. I have seen too many things that don’t make sense. If you are telling the truth then it is plausible you are meant to help, although the idea of a higher power forcing your hand is absurd to me, I cannot completely dismiss it.” Sephiroth continued to show nothing but his impassive face as he spoke.

Even with their disbelief, it was more than she had expected, and she couldn’t say she was sad to hear it. She had expected worse, so the fact that she would at least be given a chance to fully understand her focus and act on it was all good as far as she was concerned. Even though she was happy they came back, she still cringed when her thoughts went back to what she had just been thinking of before their return. She knew she couldn’t make the decision for everyone though and spoke up to get their input. “I’m glad you are at least giving me a chance. I’m not exactly sure what to do next, but without you, I am sure there is no way I could finish my focus. For now, we need to get out of these woods and back to civilization. I was just debating on how best to make that happen. With all of you here now, the car will be a little crowded on the trip home, but it is more than a four-hour drive. Since it’s already midmorning, there would be no way for us to make it back tonight for a second trip. I will let you all decide, do you want to all find a way to pile in, or do a few of you want to stay again and I will come back for you tomorrow? Either way, I can leave the supplies here and come back for them.”

None of them looked pleased with her announcement, but they didn’t speak right away. Kaylan was the one to break the silence. She stepped forward tentatively and looked around before she looked at Sherry. “Jerry is supposed to be off tomorrow. If you want to leave everything, he can come back and get me and the stuff then.”

Sherry glared slightly. “There is no way in hell I will leave you out here alone. I’m not particularly fond of the idea of all of us cramming in the car, but honestly that is what I would prefer. I dislike the idea of driving all the way home and then all the way back again even more. Still, I don’t mind leaving the stuff and you guys coming back for it tomorrow. It hasn’t been messed with yet, so I think it would be alright for one night.”

Genesis was the first to step forward. “I do not like the idea of a long and cramped drive, but I agree that a return trip is less appealing. I would rather we get to where you can start on whatever you need to do to help us return.”

Cloud gave Genesis a look out of the corner of his eyes before speaking up as well. “I agree. There is no point in delaying things if it is possible for us all to go at once.”

When he spoke, Sherry looked around to the rest of them. Most were wearing scowls, but they all nodded their agreement. She finally nodded back before she turned to the pile of stuff they had gathered. “Great. If we are going to go, then let’s get going.” She stopped before she got into the driver’s seat though. She looked back over the rest of them with a furrowed brow before she turned to Cloud. “Do you think you can drive this?”

He gave her a confused look. “Maybe? I know how to drive most vehicles, but I’ve never seen one like this. If it’s like normal though, I should be able to. Why ask me though?”

Her brows were still furrowed when she answered. “Two reasons actually. The first is that this thing seats seven normally, but there are eight of us. That means that at least one person will have to share a seat with someone and it won’t be Kaylan. She can sit in the very back with Noel, since he is the next shortest. The second reason is that I know you have to deal with motion sickness, so I thought it might be easier on you to drive.”

His brows shot up in surprise before they lowered again. He didn’t ask what he obviously wanted to though. “I can try. As long as you can provide me with directions, it should be fine.”

She gave him a nod before turning to the rest of them. Kaylan was already showing Noel how to lower the seats, so they could climb in the back. She didn’t particularly care for having her friend all the way in the back, but at least Noel shouldn’t be a problem for her. Since that part was handled, she turned to the other four. “I will be sitting up front, so I can help Cloud if needed. You four can decide who will be taking the middle seats and who will be up front with me.” Her face took on a slight tinge of pink before she continued. “Just know that whoever decides to sit up front, it will be more crowded than normal.” 

She didn’t wait for a response before she turned back to Cloud. She opened the driver door and motioned him over. When he was beside her, she pointed to the two pedals. “I don’t know if you know what an automatic is, but for this vehicle, it only has the gas and the brake.” She pointed at each in turn before she continued. “All you have to do is put it in drive and the transmission will shift automatically into the correct gear as you speed up. The rest should be stuff you are familiar with. I’ll make sure you have a map too. Are you good with it?”

His brows were lowered in concentration, but he gave her a nod. “This doesn’t look to be too different. I’ll be fine.”

She gave him a nod before she turned to head to the other side. She had to school her expression when she found Genesis already next to the passenger door. She knew she was still blushing, but she ignored it when she spoke. “If you’re decided then it would be best if you got in first and got comfortable. I will try to- we’ll figure it out.” She refused to look him in the eye when he started to chuckle. She realized that he knew exactly what the trip was going to be like and was enjoying her discomfort. She really wanted to smack him, but she knew it wouldn’t make things better. It was only because she was embarrassed in the first place that it was even an issue.

Once Genesis was seated, she looked over his shoulder to verify everyone else was already in. The three in the middle looked uncomfortable as they were crammed in tightly, but they were ready. She sent up a quick prayer that none of them would lose their temper and that they would all make it in one piece. Once she was sure the rest of them were as settled as they could be, she turned to Genesis. He was still smirking. She ignored it as she climbed up and settled between his legs. She was very close to the dash, but at least he had left her room, so she wasn’t actually in his lap. She leaned forward slightly before she turned to Cloud. “I have the key in my pocket, so all you have to do is push that button and it will start. For now, all you have to do is follow the trail. It will lead us out of the woods. We will need to stop at Jon’s house, so I can tell him we’re leaving early, but I’ll have a map for you after that.”

He gave her a funny look when she said to just push the button, but it worked, and he gave her a surprised look. It didn’t last long before he put the vehicle in gear and started off. She could tell he was nervous at first, but it didn’t take him long to relax. He obviously knew more than he expected to.

It took them nearly half an hour to leave the small trail and continue on a paved road. The house they were headed to was where the pavement started. She directed Cloud to pull into the drive and climbed out as soon as he stopped the vehicle. None of the men had been talkative during that first part and Sherry was glad. She was barely keeping her composure since she could feel Genesis’ heat directly behind her, even if they were barely touching.

She shook those thoughts off and headed to the door. She wasn’t sure if Jon would be in, or out in one of his fields, but if all else failed she knew where the key was and could leave him a note. She knocked twice and waited; and was surprised when she instantly heard noise from within. When he answered, she gave him a small smile. “Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to let you know something came up and we have to leave. I had to leave some of my stuff up there, but Kaylan will be back tomorrow with her boyfriend to get it all. They may stay an extra night, but they’ll be gone by the day after at the latest.”

He had already stepped outside while she spoke, so once she was done, he looked over at the car filled with men. He placed a hand on her shoulder before he spoke. “Are you alright? I thought it was just you and Kaylan. Who are they?”

She stepped back to force him to drop his hand before she responded. “They are the reason I have to leave early. It’s no big deal though. I agreed to help them.”

He ignored the fact that she was trying to put space between them and put his arm around her shoulder. “If you re in trouble, you know you can talk to me. Your mother would throw a fit if she thought I’d abandoned you when you needed help.”

Again, she moved to force him to let her go. “I’m fine. They got lost in the woods while they were goofing off and I happened to run into them. I doubt they meant to trespass though, so you have nothing to worry about. It was an accident.”

At that he put both his hands on her shoulders and turned her so that her back was facing the car. His look was concerned. “That doesn’t mean you have to help them you know. You never can tell what men might do to two unprotected girls like you. Why don’t you stay here, and I’ll see if I can have someone take them home?”

She could barely conceal her frown as she stepped back again. “I appreciate your concern, but I actually know them. I guess they know someone close-by as well. It was unexpected that I ran into them out here, but I’ll be fine. I only stopped to let you know that we’re leaving. Thank you for letting me stay.”

He still wore a concerned look, but he didn’t keep arguing. He pulled her in for a tight hug and whispered. “If you say so, but you know I’ll always be here for you if you need me.”

She didn’t let him keep a hold on her. She pushed away from him and barely caught her frown before she thanked him again and walked off. She didn’t want to give him another chance to touch her. 

When she turned, she was surprised to see several of the men standing outside of the vehicle and wearing scowls. She didn’t have to ask why though as Zack spoke up as soon as she was close. “I was about to come help. Who is that guy?”

She gave him a smile. He didn’t know her, or what part she had to play in his transposition, and he was still willing to help in what he thought was a bad situation. “He is someone I’ve known since I was a girl. He and my mother used to be good friends. I don’t see him often anymore, but he is like that every time. I don’t let it bother me.”

She was shocked when Genesis spoke up. “He did not touch you as if he were a friend of your parents. He touched you as if he wanted more. I doubt your mother would approve if that were the case.”

Before Sherry could answer back, Kaylan raised her voice from the back seat. “Finally! I’m glad that someone else sees that he’s a creeper. Maybe she’ll listen to you.”

Sherry shook her head at Kaylan’s outburst, but she tried to get her face into a blank mask before she responded. “I appreciate your concern, but I’ve dealt with him long enough to know that he won’t push me. As for my mother, she has been gone for a long time, so it isn’t like she has a say in it.”

She didn’t give them any more time to keep asking questions. She moved to the passenger side and gave them all a level look. “If we plan on getting back by dark, we need to get going.”

No one else bothered arguing after that and they all got back in. While she was waiting for them to get settled, she pulled up the navigation panel in her dash and input the address for her house. “This is an electronic map that will give you guided directions to my house. Obviously, I will be helping too, but this way you can tell where we are going at a glance.”

He gave her a nod before he looked over his shoulder to verify everyone was in. Once all the doors were closed, he followed Sherry’s instructions to the exit of the property they were on and down the road toward her home. It had been silent for the first little bit, but Genesis finally broke it with a soft voice. “You said your mother has been gone for some time. How did she pass?”

Sherry sighed and leaned forward onto the dash before she twisted slightly so she could look at him better. “She died when I was nineteen. It was suicide. It’s been long enough that I don’t think about it all the time anymore, but I’d rather not talk about it if you don’t mind.”

She wanted to sigh again at the look she got from him, but she turned back around with a frown when she saw Zack fidget and frown through the middle of the seats. She couldn’t see the others very well, but she knew they all had to have heard. She could already tell dealing with these men was going to be interesting. She used that idea to push back thoughts of her mother.

Even though she had told them they could ask questions on the drive, it was silent for some time. Sherry almost found herself dozing a couple of times but jerked awake as her body started to shift. The last thing she needed was to fall asleep in her current position. To keep herself occupied, she hooked her iPod up and started scrolling through her music. She caught Genesis looking at it in interest, so she tried to explain. “It’s called an iPod. I know a lot of people keep various stuff on them, like books and movies, but all I have is music.”

He was looking over her shoulder curiously as she typed in her passcode. He raised a brow when she didn’t bother trying to hide it from him. “If all it carries is music, then why have it protected?”

She glanced over her shoulder with a grin. “You’re thinking about it too hard. The only reason it has a password is to deter theft. It is so small that it would be easy for someone to take. If it is protected, then most thefts of opportunity wouldn’t want it. That isn’t to say that someone that knows how to hack it wouldn’t take it, but for the most part it helps.”

He shook his head at her explanation, but he didn’t inquire further. It wasn’t long until she had Cloud pull over at a gas station. They could have probably made it back without stopping, but she knew the guys could use a stretch as well. She doubted they would complain, but she saw no need to be cruel. Besides, she really needed the restroom.

She allowed Kaylan to go first while she pumped the gas. When her friend was back, she went ahead quickly. She didn’t want to leave them alone for long. When she returned, she was surprised to see Zack already in the back with Noel. He didn’t have much room for his legs, but he looked more comfortable than he had been squashed in between Caius and Sephiroth. Kaylan was already sitting in the middle and gave her a smile when she reached the car. “I thought it might be a little more comfortable for everyone if I sat up here. These guys are so huge, I’m sure it was a pain.”

Sherry gave Kaylan a smile. “If you’re okay with it, that’s fine.” She turned to the rest of them as well. “Are we ready to get back on the road? We should only need another two hours.”

Several of them murmured their agreement, but nothing else was said as they loaded back up again. Once they were all back in, Sherry looked back once more and had to bite back a smile. If the situation hadn’t been so dire, it would have been comical. These six men were some of the largest, and in some cases, most dour people she had ever met. Seeing them crammed in together like that was something to behold.

They hadn’t been back on the road for long before Zack and Noel struck up a conversation. Sherry couldn’t really hear what they were saying, but the soft buzz had her head drooping again. She jerked her head up a couple of times but after the third time her head started to sink, Genesis gently pulled her back against his chest. She was so far gone that she didn’t notice as he wrapped an arm around her to keep her still.

Genesis turned his head slightly when Sephiroth called out to him. He smirked at the sight of the other girl leaning against the purple haired man. He caught Sephiroth’s eye and shook his head before he whispered. “If you aren’t quiet, you could wake them.”

Sephiroth looked over at the girl beside him before he spoke quietly. “We need to discover what has happened.”

Caius interrupted him before he could continue. “Be that as it may, it is obvious these two are not warriors. They can not be used to the pressure that has been thrust upon them, especially the one that was marked. The life of a L’cie is destined to be harsh. Let them rest while they can.”

Cloud had donned a frown at Sephiroth’s imperious tone, but he didn’t add anything to what Caius had said. He was slightly worried about not being able to read the map correctly, but so far, it hadn’t been an issue. Plus, he agreed with the purple-haired man. The two girls had been hospitable, even though it was easy to see they were stressed. If they could rest for now, then it would make it easier for them to deal with things once they got to their destination. Or at least he hoped some rest would be able to help. He looked over once more before he focused on the road and tried to push his own worry down.


	5. Chapter 5

##  **Chapter 5**

It had been more than two hours since they left the station and Cloud was starting to get worried that he might have taken a wrong turn, even though the map hadn’t said anything yet. He glanced over at Genesis for probably the dozenth time when the redhead finally gave him a glare back. His voice was still low when he sniped at the blonde. “Do you have an issue with me in particular, or is there something bothering you?”

Cloud frowned at his attitude, but he managed to answer in an even tone. “Actually, I was beginning to wonder if we were still on the right track. She had said we should have been there already.”

Genesis’ frown only increased at his words, but he finally moved to lightly shake the woman that had curled up against his chest. It had become slightly awkward, but he still found the sight humorous; mostly because she was so prickly when she was awake. She groaned slightly and turned to bury her face in his chest. He laughed at the motion which caused her to suddenly go still. She slowly sat up and her look was mortified when she finally met his gaze. He gave her a lopsided smirk as her face turned red. He didn’t give her a chance to turn back around before he spoke. “I truly hate to interrupt your beauty sleep, as you seem to have needed it, but it is possible we are lost, and we need your input.”

She scowled at him and looked like she had several things she wanted to say, but she settled for turning around again and looking at the map on the dash. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she looked over to Cloud before she finally responded. “We’re still on track, but it looks like we are running a little behind. It’s probably only because I have a bit of a lead foot. It’s no big deal. We’ll be there within a half hour at most.”

Cloud’s face cleared as he heard that they weren’t lost, but Genesis gave her a strange look and Caius spoke up. “You have lead in your foot? Were you injured?”

Caius was sitting directly behind Genesis so she couldn’t really see him well when she twisted back, but she still assumed he really wanted to know and wasn’t being a smartass and tried to answer accordingly. “I don’t actually have lead in my foot. It is a saying that means I have a heavy foot, that I speed when I drive.”

Caius only hmmed, so she assumed that meant he got the answer he was looking for. She finally turned to look at Genesis and her voice was barely above a whisper. He smirked at her again when he saw her face heat slightly, but he kept his words to himself as she spoke. “I apologize for falling asleep on you. I know that had to be uncomfortable. You should have woken me up sooner.”

He was slightly surprised that she wasn’t acting angry, but his smirk softened slightly into his charming smile when he answered. “I got tired of watching you jerk awake. It was obvious that you were tired. Have no fear that if it had truly bothered me, I would have awoken you.”

She only gave him a nod before she turned back around. It was an unexpectedly short amount of time later that she finally spoke up again. “Turn right here. My house is the third one down on the right.”

Cloud followed her directions and they all got the first sight of her home at the end of a long driveway. Once they stopped it was only a matter of seconds before they were all out and stretching. Sherry felt a little bad when she heard several groans, but it couldn’t have been helped. She wondered why it had been her that had been marked once again, but it didn’t last long as she pulled her keys out and headed to the house. Because it had taken them so long to get back, the sun was riding low in the sky, and even though she had napped, she was still exhausted.

She unlocked the door and let them all in before she headed straight for her bathroom. She knew, now that they were back, the real questions would start, but not before she emptied her bladder. As she walked back into the living room, she also remembered that she didn’t have a lot that would be easy to make for dinner. Her last shopping trip had been for camping supplies and so her stocks were low at the house. That also reminded her that there would be many things they all needed if they were going to end up being there for more than a few days. That was a bridge she could cross when she got there though. She wasn’t sure how the rest of the night would play out.

When she got back into the living room, she noticed both Cloud and Zack standing close to each other in a corner and Sephiroth was staring hard at something on the wall. Caius was also standing near Zack and Cloud, staring at something else. It took her foggy brain a few moments to realize what had snagged their attention. “Shit!” When she realized what it was a surge of adrenalin went through her and she found herself in the middle of the room trying to get their attention. “Uh, guys, I can explain.”

They all turned to her with various looks on their faces. The ones on Cloud’s and Zack’s were the worst though. She nearly wanted to cry when Cloud spoke up in a quiet voice. “Why?” 

That one word was enough to make the tears spring up, but she still managed to speak. “I know you might not understand, but that was a heart wrenching moment for me too. It is a reminder to me that life is fragile, but worth living every moment while you can. I apologize if seeing it hurt you. I can take it down.”

She wanted to kick herself at the pain that stayed in his eyes, but he wasn’t given the chance to respond, as Zack spoke up. “Does that mean… does Aerith get killed?”

“I…” She couldn’t find the words to respond to him. His pain was raw in his eyes and she just shook her head before she moved past them both to take down the poster they had been looking at. It was Cloud crushing a lifeless Aerith to himself in obvious grief. She then moved to take down her clock, that was a vinyl cutout of Sephiroth suspending Cloud on the Masamune. The last poster was of Caius and Lightning back to back. She didn’t answer any more questions as she moved to put them all in her office and shut the door as she walked back out. 

She returned to see them all still staring at her. She ignored the tears that were still drying on her cheeks as she gestured around. “Why don’t you all sit down. I need to take care of something first and then we can get to your questions.”

She knew that her request was likely to piss a few of them off, but she still needed to talk to Kaylan first. She pulled her friend into the kitchen. The men could still see them, but at least they weren’t standing in the middle of them. Her voice was low when she spoke. “Have you called Jerry yet to come get you?”

Kaylan eyed the men that were still watching them before she answered. “No, my phone is dead, and I didn’t get a chance to charge it.”

Sherry just nodded. “Let me get mine and you can call him. Just don’t tell him who’s here. I’m sure he will recognize most of them, but we can pretend they are cosplayers I met and hit it off with. The fewer people that know the truth the better.”

Kaylan gave her a slightly hurt look, but Sherry didn’t let her speak. “You know I trust him, and once we figure out what is going on, we can tell him everything. If you want to, you can once you get home, but I don’t want him to know about the mark. I don’t want anyone to know about it, please.”

Kaylan gave her a reluctant nod. It was enough for the moment. Sherry gave her a quick hug before she turned to go get her phone where she had left it plugged up in the car. Most of the men were still glaring at her as she walked out. She ignored them and was back quickly with it in hand.

She opened it and unlocked it with her fingerprint before she tried to hand it to Kaylan. She was stopped when she heard Genesis speaking over her shoulder. “I see you have our likenesses everywhere.”

She jumped slightly at how near he had gotten without her noticing and then looked down to her phone. She had forgotten that Genesis’ face was her wallpaper. She felt her face flush slightly as she quickly handed the phone over and then turned to face him. “I have already told you all that I am a fan of your stories. I am not the only one that has reminders on their walls and such. Now, I thought you had more relevant questions?”

Genesis looked taken aback for a moment, but it quickly turned to a smirk. That response was much closer to what he had been expecting earlier. She was easy to handle when she was prickly, and he found that he enjoyed riling her up further. “I think those are relevant questions as well, especially as each of the images we have seen seem to have some sort of significance.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to keep calm. She knew they were all correct in calling her out and that the only reason she was losing her temper was because she was nervous and off balance. She reminded herself that they were all out of place here and had just as much right to be upset. “I suppose you’re right, but we can’t start in the middle. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable and we’ll get started?”

She didn’t wait for him to take a seat before she moved to lean against the half wall that separated the living room from the stairs down. She swallowed once before she could speak. She had come to a decision of sorts and she knew none of them were going to like it. “I know I said we would go over everything when we got here, and I do think that there are things that are pertinent for each of you to know, but I don’t think it would be wise to just tell you all the stories.”

At her words, several angry voices piped up, most notably from Sephiroth. When he stood, she unconsciously flinched slightly, but managed to not do more. When he noticed it, he stopped and gave her a confused look. She ignored it as she stood and raised her voice. “Quit yelling! If you will shut up for just a minute I will explain.”

It worked to get everyone’s attention, but her gaze was drawn by Kaylan. The girl had walked past Cloud and Genesis to get to where she was standing. When she got there, she handed her the phone but didn’t release her hand right away. She gave Sherry a questioning look. Sherry sighed before she shook her head slightly. Kaylan’s face was grim, but she gave her a hug anyway. “I’ll go wait outside so Jerry won’t come in right now. Just know that I’m a call away though. Stay safe.”

Sherry gave her a tight smile. “I’ll be fine. You know me. I don’t break easily. If you’re going to wait outside, make sure you put on bug spray.”

Kaylan laughed at her admonition. It wasn’t that it wasn’t needed, but it was so mundane after the events of the last two days that she couldn’t help it, especially when it was compared to her own unspoken warning to Sherry just moments before. Both girls giggled again as Kaylan gave her another quick hug and headed toward the door.

Sherry managed to hold onto her smile until Kaylan closed the door behind her. With another sigh Sherry turned to face the rest of the occupants of her house. “Okay, let me start by saying, I know the fact that your life stories are available for others to know has to be unsettling, and I don’t want to make that worse, but beyond that, it is never a good idea to know the future. Even if we find that the stories I know are not exact, which is likely given that they probably enhanced things for entertainment value, still, we know that a lot of it is true with the things we have already figured out. I cannot agree to just tell you things all willy nilly.” She paused and looked to Noel. “You are the resident time traveler. Can you imagine what will happen as everyone starts to learn their probable futures?”

All eyes shifted to the young man, most with frowns. His own brow furrowed at her question, but he seemed to be thinking about it. He suddenly widened his eyes as he spoke. “If they believe what you say, the future will change.” His frown was back before he continued. “But that would cause paradoxes.”

She gave him a nod. “You’re right. I honestly don’t know what kind of effects any of this will have, but I am almost certain that the reason you were all sent here was to _change_ your collective futures. I’m sure just you being here will change them some. We can only guess what kind of effect that will have, so my decision was made to try and keep the changes to the pertinent stuff only, although I have no idea how to do that exactly.”

Noel sat back with a contemplative look. He didn’t look happy when he responded. “If too many changes are made, the paradoxes could cause the timeline to collapse.”

Sephiroth didn’t give them a chance to continue. “You are expecting us to believe that our foreknowledge could somehow change our world and cause it to be destroyed?”

Sherry’s look turned hard as she snapped back. “Is that really so hard to believe? Any harder than the fact that you have found yourself in an obviously foreign world? If you can’t believe that, why would you believe anything I have to say? If you think this is all some sort of fantastical dream or hallucination, then it won’t matter what I tell you.”

Sephiroth looked completely shocked as the tiny woman had moved until she was right in front of him. He could feel her anger practically pouring off her and wasn’t sure how to take the scene. He had never had anyone stand up to him in such a fashion since before his first meeting with Genesis, and Genesis had been the first to ever try once he had returned from his first tour in Wutai. Neither had the chance to respond further when the short blonde came up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. His voice was quiet when he spoke, a habit that Sephiroth was beginning to notice was the norm for the small man. 

“None of this is easy for us to believe, but from what I’ve seen, it’s obvious we were sent here for a reason. If you think that reason is to change the future for the better, then we will try to listen. Don’t be surprised that it’s hard for us though.”

None of the men missed the fact that her face fell when she looked back at him. She covered it quickly, but it was long enough for them all to wonder what it was about Cloud that seemed to soften her snappy personality. Her voice was much softer as well. “I know.” She turned back to Sephiroth and took a deep breath before she continued. “I apologize for going off on you. I know this is hard for all of you, but please remember it’s hard for me too. Your lives aren’t the only ones that have been, and will continue to be, changed. At least you will have a bright future if we do this right.”

There was silence in the room for several moments before Zack came up beside Cloud and threw his arm over his shoulder. The grin he gave her was strained, but she appreciated that he was trying. She realized he was probably still shaken by the sight of Aerith, more so than Cloud even, as the shorter man had already known about it, even if it hurt him to think about it. Zack’s voice was as bright as normal when he spoke. “Well, I had a feeling this wouldn’t exactly be easy, so why don’t we get the hard part out of the way. Once we know our goal, we can figure out how to reach it.”

She shook her head at his enthusiasm, but she managed to give him a small smile. “I don’t think it’ll be as easy as you make it sound, but you are right in that we should get the hard part out of the way.”

She looked around at the gathered men once again before she moved back to her spot against the rail. She was too stiff to relax back though. “I know what I am about to tell you all will be hard for some of you to swallow. Please know that none of it is a personal attack. I am telling you things in the way I know them.”

They all gave her wary looks, but Noel, Cloud and Zack in particular looked more than a little uncomfortable. She noted that Cloud and Zack had moved closer to her. She wasn’t sure if it was unconscious, or if they knew that what she had to say could make some of the gathered men volatile. Either way, she was grateful. Those two in particular already had reason to be angry with her, and they still moved to be close enough to help if things got out of hand. With that thought in mind she steeled herself for her next words. “I don’t think that it was a coincidence that all six of you were brought here. I have a feeling that you were each paired with the person that both had the biggest effect on you, as well as the person whose life could be changed the most for the better.”

Genesis gave her a quizzical look, but his words were confidant. “I had assumed something like that, as Sephiroth and I have worked closely for years. It seems as if the Puppy and the blonde are quite close as are the other two.”

She shook her head at his statement. “That isn’t what I meant, although I can see why you might have thought that. Actually, I believe Zack was sent here to offset your presence and Cloud was sent for Sephiroth, although Caius and Noel are the last set of opposites.”

Several of them paused at her words. When Genesis spoke again, his voice was slightly harder. “Opposites? You said the pairs were the ones that most affected each other. What do you mean exactly?”

Zack gave her a sympathetic look. He knew what was coming next and the fact that his hand was resting on the pommel of his sword that he had pulled out earlier was no coincidence. She bit the corner of her lip nervously as she eyed the three men that were really not going to like what she said next. She couldn’t keep it from them though, she only wished there was a softer way to say it. “The simplest way to break it down would be to assign you roles in each story. Heroes and villains to be specific.”

Genesis’ eyes widened and he looked over to see Zack tensed. His gaze moved between the puppy and Sherry several times, but it was Sephiroth that spoke first. “You mean to say that this man will become and enemy worthy of my notice, a threat to Shinra?”

For a moment, she wasn’t exactly sure how to respond. Sephiroth had been correct in a way, but she doubted he realized it was because it was him that was in the wrong. Her head was still reeling, but the look he was giving her let her know he would not tolerate any more delays. She sighed before she spoke. “I suppose you are partially correct, but not for the reasons you think. It wasn’t Cloud that tried to destroy Gaia and everyone on it.”

When she looked at the blonde, she noted that he too was tensed for a possible fight. She realized that part of it was the fact that both he and Zack didn’t trust the two Firsts, and she didn’t really blame them, even if they weren’t the monsters they were to become yet. She looked back to Sephiroth and noted that his face was drawing down into a frown, as if he had just come to a conclusion he didn’t like. His voice was cold as ice when he spoke. “Are you inferring that he will become my enemy because I try to destroy the world?”

She tried to take a step back and squeaked a little when she hit the half wall she had been leaning on earlier. At her noise, Cloud finally pulled out his sword and broke the pall that had fallen on her. She sent him a hard look, even though she understood why he did it. “Put that away. There isn’t enough room in here to swing that behemoth to start with. Besides, I’ve already told you, this isn’t the Sephiroth you know, at least not the one from your recent memories.”

Her admonition to Cloud bolstered her confidence and reminded her that it was unlikely that Sephiroth would try to kill her because he was pissed off. She might not like what he did do, but he wasn’t a cold-blooded killer, not yet. She looked back towards the glaring man and swallowed again before she spoke. “That is exactly what I meant. I know right now, that is the last thing that you will ever believe, and I don’t blame you. You are so much in control of yourself that you cannot conceive of ever loosing it, but unless things change, that is exactly what will happen.”

She couldn’t tell if Sephiroth was more confused or angry, but he didn’t get a chance to respond. Genesis stepped up and gave her a hard look before he looked over at Zack and then back again. “I cannot ever see Angeal’s pupil becoming an enemy worthy of my attention, much less a villain. If that is indeed the case, then you are implying that I become the antagonist?”

She only gave him a nod. He looked like he wanted to blow something up, but she tried to ignore it as she turned to Caius. “The same goes for you.”

Much to her surprise, the Pulsian was the only one not to react to her words. She was shocked at that fact, but she was more shocked when Sephiroth grabbed her arm and jerked her back to face him. His grip was iron and hard enough that she knew she was going to have bruises, but that thought was a flighty one as his grim expression promised much more if she didn’t have the right answers. “You will-“

He was suddenly cut off by the presence of a giant sword pressed against his neck. “Let her go!”

Sephiroth didn’t move right away, but his expression was shocked. He couldn’t believe that the smaller man was threatening him. Sherry was quicker to recover though. She was able to yank her arm out of Sephiroth’s grip and she pushed Cloud’s blade away before she turned to him with a scowl. She made sure she put herself between the blonde and Sephiroth before she spoke. “I’ve already asked you not to start something.”

Cloud was taken aback by her sudden temper towards him. She had her hands on her hips and she didn’t move at all until he finally relented and slid the blade into his harness. His voice was strained when he spoke. “He was going to hurt you.”

Her face finally softened when she spoke. “I appreciate that you wanted to help me, especially with all the craziness, but I have already said this isn’t the man you knew. He doesn’t deserve your hatred. The man that does, may end up never existing, at least if I have anything to say about it.”

Cloud had a contemplative look before his eyes widened with a small gasp. “You empathize with him?!”

She gave him a small nod. “With all of them. None of them deserve what happened.” At that she looked back to all three of them, Sephiroth first. She knew there were tears forming and she tried to keep them back as she spoke. “You are not a monster. You are so much more than what Shinra and Hojo try to make you. I believe that if you are told the truth and not buried in lies, that you never will be.”

To say he looked shocked was an understatement. This same woman had told him that he was going to destroy the world only moments before, but when he searched her eyes, he could only see compassion. It was unnerving and far more convincing than her words could have been. He didn’t get to respond though before she turned to Genesis. “The same goes for you. Hollander wants to use you and he isn’t afraid to lie to get what he wants. You never deserved to be used. You are a person with dreams of your own and you deserve the chance to follow them.”

Genesis’ eyes widened when he watched the first tear finally start to fall. His desire to burn the house down around them was suddenly quenched. No matter how far off her ‘stories’ were, he knew instinctively at that moment, that the only chance he had was to hear her out.

When she turned to Caius, they all looked on in shock as she had to hold back a sob. “I can only imagine the pain you had to endure to make you break. Knowing why only makes it that much worse.” She took a step towards the purple haired man and nearly reached for him, before she pulled her hand back and made a fist. Her voice was choked when she spoke again. “You are a good man.” She then turned to look at them all. “You are all good men, and now that I have been pulled into this, I refuse to let any of you be dragged down.” Her last vehement statement hung in the air between them all as all six men stared at the woman in shock. There were tears streaming down her face, but her look was determined.


	6. Chapter 6

##  **Chapter 6**

Silence settled on the room after Sherry’s outburst. None of the men knew quite what to say at first. For Zack and Cloud, they both wondered how she could possibly know what Sephiroth and Genesis had done and still feel sorry for them. They didn’t say anything as they both knew someone that was the same way, but they didn’t understand her behavior either. As for Noel, he understood in a painful way. He had already been trying to save Caius from himself. The last thing he wanted was to kill his mentor and he couldn’t stop a blossom of hope at the thought that he might finally be able to keep the world from ending and help Caius at the same time.

The silence was finally broken when Caius called out to Sherry. “I cannot claim to understand what you have said, but from what I have gathered, it does not surprise me. I can see how my duty could possibly put me at odds with the rest of the world and what they believe to be right. As much as it pains me to think I might succumb to madness as well, I will not discount your words. I have no doubt, that at the very least, you believe what you are saying.”

Sherry wanted to give him a hug in the worst way but managed to refrain again. She was certain he would not appreciate it. Instead she gave him a nod before she tried to wipe away the worst of her tears. She took a step back and looked at all of them. “There is still so much to go over, but I think the rest should be done one on one. What would be good for one of you to know, might not be for someone else.” She paused when she saw several of them glare at her and she shook her head. “I know you aren’t all onboard with my decision yet, but I cannot take the chance that what I tell you might cause more harm than good. This is my focus after all. If I’m wrong, I’m sure there will be consequences for me. Besides, you always have the option of revisiting this after I speak to each of you. If enough of you feel that it would be better to share with everyone than I will reconsider. I won’t promise though.”

She saw several nods before Sephiroth spoke up. “Very well. We will listen and decide afterward.” He paused at that and looked outside before looking back to her. “It has gotten late. Will you be handling this tonight or tomorrow?”

Her eyes widened in surprise at the fact that he was willing to give her the choice. She looked at them all once more before she finally responded. “We still have several other things to handle tonight as well; like dinner for starters. Why don’t we take care of those decisions first? Afterwards I can decide if I will be able to handle it tonight.”

When he gave her a nod she turned to the kitchen. She noticed that Cloud was still giving her an unreadable look, but Zack was grinning as he spoke. “Is there anything I can help with?”

She found she was still able to laugh as she chuckled at his enthusiasm. “Let me see what I have first. My last round of shopping was for the camping trip, so I don’t think I have a lot here.”

At that she moved to check what was in her freezer. She noticed that both Cloud and Zack followed her. Sephiroth had taken a seat again and was talking quietly to Caius with Genesis watching them both from nearby. Noel had also taken a seat, but he was simply watching Caius. She was glad to see that they could be normal for a little while at least.

Once she got the freezer open, she found that she had more than she expected, but it was all frozen and it was unlikely to thaw in a reasonable amount of time. She pulled out a package of chicken and stuck it in the fridge before she turned to the cabinets. She hadn’t been looking in them long before her attention was drawn by Cloud. He was looking at her refrigerator with scrunched brows. His voice was wary when he spoke. “These sentences, they’re all about Sephiroth aren’t they?”

Sherry’s eyes widened again. She forgot that she had the word magnets and she did have many sentences about several of her favorite characters. She groaned when his question drew the others in for a closer look. Zack looked over Cloud’s shoulder and then clapped his friend on the back. “Not all of them, see, this one’s about you. ‘Cloud is friendly.’ Huh, I guess that’s right, but it isn’t nearly as expressive as the rest of these. Look, this one has to be about Genesis. ‘She swooned when she kissed the fiery-“

“Stop!” Sherry was trying to push him back. 

He grinned at her and laughed before he looked back. He frowned slightly before he spoke. “I even see one about the purple guy over there, but I don’t see one about me. How come?”

Sherry could feel her face heating as the rest had come over as well. She knew she wasn’t going to get out of answering though. “There is one about you too. See.” She then pointed to one near the bottom of the lines. ‘The puppy is tenacious, cool and zany.’

He groaned when he read it and gave her a soulful look. “Not you too?”

She had to fight hard not to laugh when she answered him. “Zack, you do realize that the face you have right now is the very definition of puppy dog eyes? It’s hard not to think it, but it doesn’t mean I don’t like you. I actually think you’re adorable.”

Instead of helping, her words caused him to groan. “No grown man wants to be known as adorable. Ah man, I have got to erase this.”

She gave him a sympathetic look, but their attention was drawn by Genesis. His voice was somewhere between amused and jealous. “If the fiery one is about me-“ He paused at that point and gave her a pointed look that caused her to blush before he continued. “Who are the rest of them about? The glorious hair is obviously about Sephiroth. However, who is black wings? Obviously, someone you admire if they are ‘yummy, hot torment and trouble’.”

Sherry was surprised her face wasn’t boiling it was so hot. She didn’t give him a direct answer though. “You all seem to find this entertaining, so have at it. Make any changes you want, but leave me to find something for us to eat.”

She turned back to the cabinet without another word. She knew the others had moved back into the living room, but she had to bite her tongue when Genesis stepped up to her side. She could see Zack was still nearby as well. He was pretending to play with the magnets, but she could tell he was watching Genesis. She gave him a smile when she caught his eyes. His eyes widened at the fact that she caught him looking, but she turned back to Genesis before the younger man could do more than look guilty. “Was there something else you wanted?”

He gave her a contemplative look. “I understand why someone that is a fan would have our likenesses up. It isn’t so different than members of our fan clubs back in Midgar. However, I have never seen the likes of what you have here. There are many more sentences that have nothing to do with anyone that I can tell. What drove you to put those up?”

Her gaze softened into the first real smile she had given him since they first met. “I like words. I started reading at a young age, and now I’m a wordsmith in my own right, so it’s fun for me.”

Zack piped up from the other side of the room. “A wordsmith? What is that?”

It was Genesis that answered, although he hadn’t taken his eyes off Sherry. “She is a writer.” He ignored Zack’s further questions though as he tilted his head and gave her a curious look. “And what exactly do you write?”

Sherry closed her eyes with a sigh. She should have known better than to tell him what she did, but it was too late now. She looked up with a rueful smile. “I started writing poetry when I was still in high school. Somehow it morphed into writing fantasy novels. I recently published my first one.”

His eyes widened at her words. “If you have been published, it is more than a hobby.”

She gave him another smile. “Yes. I guess you could say I was living my dream. I still have a part time job, but I don’t need it anymore. It helps me keep from going bonkers though.”

Genesis had not missed the note of sadness in her words, or the fact that she used the past tense, but he chose not to say anything for the moment. Every time he spoke to her there seemed to be something else about her that piqued his interest. He was beginning to believe that it truly was not coincidence that it was this woman they appeared near. He was pulled from his contemplation of her and their situation when she closed the nearest cabinet with a sigh.

She was mumbling under her breath, but he didn’t have to ask her what she had said, as she called out to the rest of the group. “I don’t have anything here that I can make tonight, so I’ll call in for pizza. We are just at the edge of the delivery cutoff, so we can have them bring it. Anyone have any preferences?”

Zack looked like he was ready to start bouncing as he spoke up. “You have pizza here? That’s awesome! Does it have stuff like smoked behemoth?”

Sherry blinked at him several times and opened her mouth to speak at least twice before she was able to find the words she needed. “Even though we have pizza here, it seems like there are going to be some major differences. There are no behemoths on earth. It’s usually chicken, or beef, or sausage if you like that kind of thing. Personally, I’m a mushrooms and bacon kind of girl.”

Zack gave her a shocked look after that, but it was Sephiroth that spoke up. “Get whatever you think is best. None of us will be familiar with the foods you have here. I am positive that no matter the quality, we have had worse in the field. If it is edible, that will be sufficient.”

Genesis sneered at him. “Speak for yourself. There is no need to settle when we do not have to.”

Sephiroth gave him a glare. “You do realize that it is unlikely this young woman will serve us anything unpalatable on purpose? It will take us time to become familiar with the foods of this world, among many other things. Until we do, it will be up to our hostess to do what she feels is best. If we are going to be expected to trust her, then this is the least of the things we will have to leave in her hands.”

Genesis sneered again, but he didn’t say anything else. Sherry looked between the gathered men and swallowed. She realized once again that she still had no clue how much their presences were going to impact her life. She hoped she survived long enough to fulfil her focus. 

She shook those thoughts off before she spoke up. “Well, since none of you really know what you like, I’ll get a variety. With the six of you, I’m sure we will need at least eight pizzas anyway. That should give everyone a better idea. I will say now though, that most of the time I prefer to cook. Once I go shopping the options will be better.”

She didn’t wait for any responses before she went and grabbed her laptop. She set it on the counter and logged in to order online. She shook her head at both Genesis and Zack looking over her shoulder. She completely ignored Zack’s question about her wallpaper, as it was another picture of Genesis. She was going to have to change all of those soon, if they ended up staying longer than a few days. She didn’t want to deal with the questions.

Zack didn’t ask more than once, but he did give her a questioning glance as she pointedly ignored Genesis when the man gave her a smirk. She turned to the rest of them. “They should be here in about 45 minutes. If you don’t mind, I would like to take the chance to take a real shower. I feel gross. We can talk more over dinner if you want.”

She received several questioning looks, but no one objected so she went straight to her bedroom. She felt strange as she got into the shower, knowing that there were six strange men in the next room. It motivated her to finish her shower in record time, but she felt so much better when she was done. She no longer felt like she was covered in a layer of grime. It brought her mood up as well. She also went ahead and removed her contacts before she headed back out. After the events of the previous day and the crying she had done, they had started to irritate her eyes. She grabbed her spare glasses and got dressed. She was smiling when she walked back out with her hair still up in a towel.

Several of the men had been talking quietly but that all stopped when she walked into the room. It made a shiver go up her spine when they were all looking straight at her. Her voice was nervous when she broke the silence. “Okay, well I’m sure dinner will be here soon.”

She quickly moved to the kitchen to start getting out the plates and utensils they would need. She nearly jumped when Genesis joined her. “I was not expecting glasses. Why were you not wearing them before?”

She gave him a confused look and then shrugged. “I was wearing contacts. You know, little lenses that you put directly on your eyeball.”

She heard Zack express his disgust at the idea and laughed. Her attention was drawn back to Genesis when he spoke again. “With what I have observed so far, I felt that the technologies of this world and of ours were on par with each other, however, I have never heard of lenses you can put in your eye to replace glasses. Does it not hurt?”

She gave him a contemplative look as she put the plates on the table. “No, they are washed in a solution that is very close to human tears. It allows them to be placed with no problems. Also, there are many things Gaia has that Earth doesn’t, like your VR technology, but there are many things we have that you don’t, like commercial air planes instead of airships. I believe it was just a matter of which technologies had the most interest and funding in our respective worlds.”

Noel, who had been quietly watching Caius up to that point, finally spoke up. “I have never seen anything like them either. By my time on Pulse, humans were mostly scattered and nomadic. When I met Sarah, I was introduced to a lot of new things. I haven’t really had a chance to take them in though. This will all be new to me. This world reminds me of the communities set up on Pulse right after Cocoon started to fall.”

Sherry gave him a smile. “I am pretty sure the stuff they had on Cocoon was still far more advanced than what we have here, especially as the Fal’cie provided most of it. Even so, if you have questions about anything don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll be happy to answer if I can.”

He didn’t get a chance to answer as they were interrupted by a knock at the door. She smiled at them before she went to answer it. “That should be dinner.”

It only took her a few moments to pay for the meal and start handing the boxes back to Cloud, who had walked to the door with her. Once they were all on the table Sherry waved a hand at them. “Dig in. If you can’t find one you like I’m sure we can find something. I promise tomorrow will be better.”

There was very little talking at that point, mostly it was questions about the ingredients and what they were like. After they had all settled with something, Caius spoke up. “This is mostly some sort of bread, is it not?”

She gave him a nod and swallowed before she answered. “Yes, even though I ordered thin crust, there is still a lot of bread. It’s one of the reasons I don’t eat it often. Not a lot of nutritional value, but it works in a pinch. I apologize if you find it disgusting, but with how many of you there are, this was the best option for fast food. This is far from being the best example of our cuisine.” Caius gave her a nod but didn’t question her further. They ate in silence after that. 

Sherry finished before the others and sat back to look at them all. She found the sight of Sephiroth and Genesis eating pizza to be one of the most hilarious things she had ever seen. They had both removed their gloves and had followed her example of blotting the pizza before they ate. Still, watching them nearly made her giggle. She managed to push it back and sat forward with a sigh. She knew they still had a lot to cover, even though she had already decided her path. She managed to keep her worry from her voice when she spoke. “Before we get into anything else, I wanted to verify when each of you is from. I have a general idea, but it will give me a better chance of knowing what you still might have to face.”

She turned to Cloud first. “I know you have to be at least from after 08, am I close?”

He narrowed his eyes at her question, but he answered. “Yes, it was January of 09. How did you know?”

She glanced down at his covered arm and then back up. She knew her worry and sadness had to be showing on her face when his eyes widened. She shook her head and then turned to Zack. “With you, it’s a little harder. I would say you have to be from somewhere between 02 and 06 though.”

He was giving her a strange look before he answered. “How did you know when Cloud was from? Why didn’t you answer him? I’ve noticed you’ve done that a lot.”

Sherry didn’t have to answer since Cloud spoke up. “She did answer me. If any of the other times have been like this one, then I understand why she didn’t say it out loud. I’m fine with it.”

Zack gave him a shocked look before he grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “You know, I can believe that you’re from the future. It must have done something good for you, ‘cause you’re a lot more confident. I like it.” At that point he turned back to Sherry. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure it was August of 06 when I was dragged here.”

Sherry’s eyes widened at that and she felt tears prick her eyes. He had to have been close to Midgar by that point and it made her heart clench to know that if she couldn’t change it, his death was just around the bend. She noticed Cloud grimacing from the corner of her eye as well but tried to ignore it. She gave Zack a nod before she turned to Sephiroth. “Given what you told me in the cave, you are from 02.”

His look was calculating when he nodded, but he didn’t say anything. She then turned to Genesis and looked him over. “With you, it’s a little harder to tell, but I know it has to be before the last half of 2000.”

His eyes narrowed before he spoke. “It was January of 2000 when I was pulled here while I was out on a mission.” His voice was harder when he continued. “The fact that you can ascertain what times we are from at a glance tells me that not only are the things that happen extreme, but they are so dramatic that they change our appearances as well. Given that fact, I am most interested in learning what we could possibly be facing to make that happen.”

Sherry grimaced at him but managed a somewhat polite response. “That is what we will be going over. I will answer as many of your questions as I can, but not right now. I think that would be best discussed one on one.”

He was still giving her a glare, but she ignored it when she turned to Noel and Caius. “For you two, it’s a little harder to say. Noel, I know you were time travelling so I have no idea what you have faced yet and what you haven’t. As for you, Caius, I know you are from before the-“ She cut herself off at that point. She had been about to mention the fall of Paddra. She suddenly realized that it was something she would have to discuss with him anyway and Noel already knew about it. She still gave him a sympathetic look before she continued. “You are from before the fall of Paddra. Your early life was not really gone into in the stories, so I can’t say more than that.”

His eyes widened and he stood suddenly. “That cannot happen. We have no enemy capable of such a thing and Paddra is naturally protected. No.”

She hated to see the look on his face and her voice was soft when she answered. “Caius, all things fall to time. Nothing is immune to it. We can discuss the rest later. I truly am sorry.”

He gave her a hard look but didn’t say anything more. He turned and walked outside. She gave his retreating form a sad look before she turned to the rest with a frown. “I apologize. I guess I really don’t know how to handle this. I just wish…” She trailed off and looked around. She wished there was some way to protect them all from their respective painful futures without having to cause them pain in the process, but she knew without asking that it was a futile aspiration. She shook her head before pointing to the table. “Let me know when you are all finished, and I’ll clean up. I’m going to try to talk to Caius.” Noel looked like he wanted to say something but closed his mouth with a snap as she turned and made her way out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not sure how I feel about this chapter. It seems like it is dragging a little, but it is necessary to lay out their circumstances and the way they all interact. I will state that next couple of chapters should be a little more fast paced. Thanks for reading!

## Chapter 7

They all watched her leave before turning to each other with wary looks. Zack was still trying to understand what part the woman had to play in the whole ordeal. She didn’t seem to be a bad person, and even though it tore him up to think of how Sephiroth changed, he couldn’t understand how anyone could know what he did and still feel sorry for him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want his friend back, but he couldn’t see past the terrible things that had been done. He was pulled out of his contemplation when Cloud stood and looked at them all. “I am going to clean this up. If everyone is finished, it’s the least I can do.”

Sephiroth stood with a nod. He still had not stopped giving Cloud a contemplative look, but he didn’t say anything as he moved back into the living room. Zack jumped up as well and gave Cloud a grin. “That’s a great idea! I’ll help.”

The two of them started putting the few remaining pieces into a single box and gathered up the plates to take to the sink. It took them a few minutes to find the soap but once they did, Cloud started washing and rinsing them while Zack dried them and put them away. He fell behind at first, since he had to hunt for the spots to put them, but once he figured that out it didn’t take them long to finish.

Once they were done, Cloud moved to stand near the door and simply watched Sephiroth. If the man noted it, he ignored it as he tried to talk to Genesis. Zack noticed them talking as well, but he didn’t butt in. He could see it was difficult for the General to talk to a man that he felt had betrayed everything they ever stood for. He couldn’t stop the comparison to how he felt about Sephiroth and it made him question things even more. To keep himself busy and not letting his brain run in circles, he started doing squats. The sight made all the others except Noel, roll their eyes before they went back to what they were doing. As for Noel, he was still sitting at the table and watching the door. His own head was filled with what ifs.

* * *

When Sherry first walked outside, she panicked slightly. Caius was not near the door. She scanned the yard and finally spotted him near the woodline. He blended into the darkness so well that she might not have noticed him if they had been anywhere except her own yard. She didn’t try to hide the sounds she made as she approached. She wanted to make sure he had the chance to tell her to leave if he wanted to. When she reached his side, she didn’t look up at him. Instead she spoke in a quiet voice. “I want to apologize for the way I just blurted that out. I hadn’t thought about how it might make you feel. I should have been a little gentler.”

Neither of them moved or said anything else for several moments. Finally, Caius sighed and turned his head to look down at her. “I am beginning to realize this will be an ordeal for all of us. I have noticed the wariness and pain in several of the others. It lends credence to what you have told us so far. I do not want to think of the fall of my nation, but I will not ignore your words.”

She gave him a sad look. “I wish there was a way to change things without causing you so much pain. I meant it when I said I don’t feel like you deserve this.”

He only nodded before he looked back up. The moon was shining through the branches of the trees. It was a haunting sight and gave her chills. The silence stretched again until Sherry felt she couldn’t handle it. She was glad he hadn’t asked her to leave, but she was floundering on how to continue with him still closed off, despite his acceptance of her apology. She finally spoke up again. “Do you… do you want to talk about the rest now?”

His brows were furrowed when he looked back to her, but he didn’t seem angry, at least not at her. He seemed to be contemplating his answer before he finally spoke. “I have no doubt this is what you were tasked with, however, I need to assimilate what I have already learned. Please allow time and we will speak.”

She gave him a nod and turned back to the house. She paused after a step and turned back. “I’ll leave the door unlocked.” He gave her a small nod with a look of gratitude before he turned back to contemplating the moon and his thoughts. She felt horrible about the whole thing still, but at least everyone was willing to try to listen.

When she made it back into the house, she was surprised to see Cloud standing near the door. She gave him a smile to let him know she understood and appreciated him thinking of her. She immediately turned to go to clean up and was surprised again when she found there was not much left for her to do. She turned to Zack with shock. “You guys cleaned up already?”

He had stopped his squats as soon as she came back in, so when she turned to him, he gave her a grin and nodded toward Cloud. “Yeah, me an’ Spikey took care of it. If there is anything else, we can do to help let us know. If you’re gonna be stuck taking care of us for a while, then it’s the least we can do.”

She gave him a genuine smile. “Thanks. That’s a big help.”

At that point Noel finally spoke up. “Where is Caius?”

She tried to keep her face from falling into a frown as she answered. “He is still outside thinking. I told him I would leave the door unlocked when he is ready to come back in.”

Noel hesitated before he spoke again. “Did you tell him everything?”

Sherry finally sighed. She knew they were all on edge, but she didn’t have the option of wishing it was someone else’s problem. “No. He asked for some time to contemplate everything I’ve already told him.” Noel’s face flickered between relief and worry. Sherry understood the feeling. None of them were likely to take things well.

Her attention was drawn when Sephiroth spoke again. “As much as we may all want to get to the bottom of this, it seems as though this will take more than one day to accomplish. I see no reason to force you beyond your limits for no gain. We can discuss the rest tomorrow.”

Again, Sherry was surprised at his understanding. She wasn’t going to deny she wasn’t up to any more that night though. She gave him a nod. “Thank you. I think a clearer head would help. I know none of you slept last night so I can get blankets and such. I have a few extras. I also have a futon downstairs in the den and an extra bed in the guest room. There is also the couch and a chaise. That last might be a little uncomfortable for you guys that are super tall, but I’m sure we can come up with something better with some time. I also have two blow up mattresses that are still at camp. They’ll be back when Kaylan and Jerry go get them.”

None of the remaining men looked comfortable with the idea of sleeping. Cloud was the first to speak. “No offence to your hospitality, but I don’t know if I’d be comfortable sleeping here.”

His words weren’t exactly unexpected, but they still irritated her. She had to fight not to roll her eyes when she responded. “I understand why you feel that way, but even though most of you are super human, you still require sleep. Why don’t you pair up with someone you trust at least enough not to kill you while you sleep and take turns. It’s a better option than making yourself so exhausted that you’ll eventually fall.”

Cloud frowned at her, but Zack piped up before he could say anything. “She’s right. I trust you to watch my back, so if you want, I can let you sleep. I know when it’s my turn, you’ll keep me safe, right?”

Cloud still didn’t look entirely convinced but he gave a nod anyway. “I suppose none of us can afford to be at less than our best.” He turned to Sherry at that point. “Where should we go?”

At his question, she looked between the two of them and Genesis and Sephiroth. Those two still wore wary looks, but they hadn’t said anything. She then looked over at Noel with a sigh. “I think it would be best if you two were downstairs.” She focused on Sephiroth at that point. “If the two of you agree, you can use the bed in the guest room.”

Noel spoke up at that point before anyone could say anything else. “I don’t really care where I sleep. I’m sure I’ve slept in more dangerous places before.”

She raised an eye at his bravado but didn’t call him on it. “If that’s the case then you can have the couch. When Caius comes back in, have him wake me and we can either set up a pallet for tonight or he can take the chaise. These will only be temporary solutions until we can figure out something better.”

At that point Genesis finally spoke up. He was glancing between Sherry and Sephiroth. “I suppose your suggestion is adequate. I believe I can trust Sephiroth enough for this at least.” He focused solely on Sherry at that point. “What type of bed will we be using?”

She wanted to sigh in relief that they were being slightly accommodating. If they fought her as well as each other, none of them would make it very long. She was so relieved that it took her a moment to process his question and she nearly laughed. Leave it to Genesis to be worried about the type of bed when most of their group didn’t have a bed at all. She still managed to answer him. “It’s a queen size pillow top. It’s not new, but it should be comfortable enough, at least while you’re here. The alternative is the floor, so…”

He narrowed his eyes at her obvious dismissal of his concern, but Sephiroth spoke up before he could call her on it. “That should be sufficient. You have already shown you will do all you can to help us, so I am not concerned with the minor details. Is there anything we need to do?”

She was even more shocked at his offer to help than she had been at the sight of the clean kitchen. It took her a moment to find her voice. “The guest bed is already made. I’ll need to get sheets and blankets for the futon and couch. It won’t be difficult, but you are both welcome to sleep whenever. It’s the first door on the left.” She turned at that point to get the blankets but paused and turned back quickly. “I almost forgot. That room doesn’t have a working light in the ceiling. There is a lamp next to the bed you can use instead.”

They all gave her curious looks that caused her to blush a little. “I know it’s a pain, but I haven’t had the chance to fix it yet. I have the stuff, but… well, I suppose it doesn’t matter tonight. I’ll see if I can fix it tomorrow.”

Cloud finally spoke at that point. “I have some experience with wiring. I might be able to help.”

She nearly grinned at him. “That would be great! I know the basics, but I would have had to You Tube it.”

“You tube? What’s that?”

His question made her cringe. “Sorry, I forget there is so much I take for granted. You Tube is a video service where people put all sorts of stuff. The internet has just about anything you could want to find.”

Sephiroth frowned slightly when he spoke. “If I am understanding you correctly, then you are saying there is a network that is not only open to the public, but that anyone can both post what they want or use it to look for whatever they choose?”

Sherry’s eyes widened when she realized why he would ask that question. She shook her head at the extent of the differences. “Yes. Here in the US there are very few regulations on what is posted. Some countries are stricter on what is available, but there is so much out there, it’s scary sometimes. When I said you can find almost anything, I meant it.” 

When his look turned contemplative, she spoke up again. “I know there are so many things that are probably weird to you all, and I will be happy to go over as much of it as I can, but can we do it tomorrow?”

At her question Sephiroth shook his head and gave her a small smile. The sight of it nearly bowled her over. She was saved from making a fool of herself when he spoke again. “I am certain there is more differences than any of us will realize until we are faced with them. I believe addressing them as they come up is not a bad idea. For tonight, we should rest.”

She nodded at him in silence. When she realized she was still staring, she jumped slightly and turned to the hall closet quickly. She only hoped it was fast enough to cover her embarrassment. By the time she returned with an armload of linens, she had herself back under control. She put them down on the couch before she pulled out a set of sheets and a blanket. She handed them to Zack, as he was closest. “These should be all you need for the futon. I can show you how to lay it down in a minute. There are already pillows down there. They are kind of small, but I only have one more spare and Noel will need it, sorry.”

Zack gave her a grin as he took the armload. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure we have all had to sleep in worse situations. It’ll be fine.”

She was glad they all must have come to the same conclusion; they were truly in a foreign world and she was somehow supposed to guide them back. Their acceptance made it easier to start at least. She shook of her wayward thoughts and turned to Genesis. “Do you think you will need anything else?” She stopped herself at that point and nearly smacked her forehead before she continued. “Sorry, I almost forgot. There is a bathroom downstairs and one here in the hallway. The one up here should have all you need for a shower. There’s one downstairs too, but I doubt it has soap and stuff. I can change that after I go shopping.” She wanted to kick herself as there was so much she just hadn’t thought of yet. It was nearly overwhelming.

A couple of them gave her nods of understanding, but it was Sephiroth that spoke, but he was turned to Genesis. “I’ll take first watch.”

Genesis raised a brow at that but didn’t argue. He didn’t really get a chance to as Cloud spoke up. “I’ll take first watch as well.”

Zack narrowed his eyes at his friend, but when Cloud caught sight of it, he shook his head quickly. Zack was still eyeing him, but he shrugged before he spoke. “Alrighty. Wake me at about 02:00.”

Cloud only gave him a nod. Sherry watched the whole exchange with a raised brow. She understood why Cloud had volunteered and wondered how much longer it would be before he finally understood this was not his enemy. She shook off those thoughts as well and turned to Noel. “Give me a minute to get the futon set up and I’ll grab my extra pillow.”

He gave her a nod. At that she turned back to Cloud and Zack. “Follow me. I’ll get you guys started.”

She led them downstairs. She turned on the lights and looked around to see if anything needed to be picked up, as she was not the last person down there. When she did, she noticed another picture of Sephiroth on the wall and ran across the room before anyone else caught sight of it, or at least she hoped it was before they saw it. It was a picture that wasn’t exactly an appropriate one for most people to see, especially not these people. She turned to see the two of them giving her confused looks and she hoped that meant they were only curious as to why she was acting so strange. She ignored the looks and pointed to the futon. “All you have to do is lean it forward and the clasp will loosen. Once it’s loose, you can lay it all the way down. If, for some reason, you want to lift it back up again, all you have to do is lift and it has several positions it will catch in.”

As she was speaking, Zack was following along. He laid it back and then lifted it up again before he laid it back down. He gave her a grin. “Got it!”

“Great. If you need anything else, my room is the last door on the right upstairs. I’m usually a fairly light sleeper.” She gave them a smile and headed back upstairs. Both Sephiroth and Genesis were still in the living room. She gave them a curious look, but they were in the middle of a quiet conversation. She left them to it as she walked to her room to get the spare pillow. When she returned, she noticed Noel already had the blankets laid out and was lying down with his head cushioned on his arms. She smiled before she handed it to him. “This should be better than your arms.”

He took it with a smile. “Thanks. I appreciate you helping.”

The look he gave her almost seemed as though he meant more than just the pillow. She gave him a nod of understanding. “Even if it wasn’t my focus, I would be happy to help.”

At that point, she turned and included the other two. “My room is the last one on the right if any of you need anything. Otherwise, go ahead and make yourselves at home. I don’t have much here right now, but it will hopefully be enough. The only thing I ask is that you please stay out of my office and bedroom. Those are the two rooms at the end of the hall.”

They each gave her nods before she turned and made her way back to her room. The day had to have been one of the longest of her life and even though she had some sleep to make up for her sleepless night, it was not enough. She could feel that the only thing keeping her going was willpower. When she finally got into bed, it was one of the most wonderful things she had felt in ages.


	8. Chapter 8

##  **Chapter 8**

The next morning, Sherry woke with a yawn before she stretched and reached for her phone on the bedside table to see what time it was. It was still dark, but it looked like the sky was lightening. When she couldn’t find it, she sat up and turned her lamp on. She started looking for it when it wasn’t where she usually put it, but she realized after only a few moments that she had been so exhausted the previous night that she had left it in the living room. She groaned when she remembered why she had been so tired in the first place. After sleeping in her own bed, she had almost felt like it had been a bad dream. All she had to do to dispel that notion was look down at her wrist. The geometric pattern that greeted her eyes was enough to shock her back into reality, as strange as reality was.

She forced herself out of bed. There was no point in putting off the inevitable. She stood at the door for a moment and listened for the tell-tale sound of the boards creaking that meant others were up and around. When she didn’t hear anything, she decided that she would go for a jog before she started making noise and waking the others. Not that she thought they would be sleeping in. It was likely that at least a couple of them were up and just sitting somewhere, but that didn’t mean she was ready to wake the rest if she didn’t have to. She decided to let them sleep in if they wanted.

It didn’t take her long to throw on some pants and put her hair up in a messy bun. She wasn’t thinking about looking good, as she was likely to be sweaty by the time she was done anyway. She was thankful that she had a sliding glass door in her room, so she was able to slip outside and not have to face her houseguests.

Once she was outside, she made her way around to the front and grabbed her iPod out of the car before she put in her headphones and started toward the perimeter of her small plot of land. It was enough that about six trips around would make close to two miles. Plenty for a morning jog, as long as it was light enough for her not to trip on any unexpected gopher holes.

She made it about two-thirds of the way around before she was suddenly stopped when something dropped down in front of her. She screamed and fell back before she realized what, or rather, who it was. Caius had jumped out of a tree. She finally caught her breath and stood as she pulled her headphones out. She gave him a slight glare for surprising her, but then her eyes widened. “You… did you sleep in that tree?”

He gave her a slightly confused look. “Is there a rule against sleeping under the stars here?”

She suddenly realized that even though he lived in the city of Paddra, there was no telling if that was where he was originally from. It was likely that he had been part of one of the nomadic tribes before he went there. Even if it wasn’t, Paddra likely didn’t have the same light pollution that most of the earth did even though they were an advanced society. From what she could remember, they lived closer to nature than most civilizations on Earth did, so it made sense that he might want to see the stars. She finally shook her head at his question but didn’t get a chance to answer. Both Zack and Genesis had come out of the house and were headed their direction with frowns. When she heard their approach, she looked back with surprise and saw Noel exiting the house as well. When she realized why; she felt her face flush. Once they drew even with them, she spoke before they could ask. “I apologize if I startled you. I was jogging and not paying attention, so when Caius jumped out of the tree, I was surprised and screamed before I realized what was going on.”

Zack rolled his eyes and gave her a grin, but Genesis didn’t look entirely convinced. “Do you scream at every little thing that startles you?”

By that time Noel had joined their little group and was eyeing Caius warily. As much as she wanted to roll her own eyes at his question, she knew she needed to answer and diffuse the situation. “Out here? Yes. This is a rural area, so the only things that might jump out of trees at you are usually only squirrels and mountain lions. He’s far too large to possibly mistake for a squirrel, so I assumed predator.”

They gave her looks that ranged from contemplative to shocked before Zack piped up. “So, you do have monsters here too?”

She shook her head at his assumption. “Not in the way you’re thinking. We do have species that are predators, but they are part of the food chain. Most of the time, they do not aggressively go after humans for no reason. If they do attack it is because they are defending territory or because they think you’re food. They won’t kill and then look for something else.”

By the end of her conversation, both Cloud and Sephiroth had joined them as well. She looked around at them all and didn’t bother trying to hold in her sigh. “I apologize for startling everyone.” She looked around at them all again before she made a decision. “I will need to get things for breakfast, but, if you don’t mind, I would like to finish my run first. I can cut it down to one mile, but I really need it.”

None of them spoke right away. Instead, they were all eyeing her with interest. She was contemplating taking off anyway when Cloud finally spoke up. “Is there anything we can do to help while you finish?”

She shook her head. “Not this morning. I don’t have any of the groceries we would need anyway.” She started to turn when he gave her a nod, but she stopped. “Oh! I almost forgot. If you want coffee, I do have that. I think I have cream in the fridge as well, and there should be sugar in the canister marked for it. I don’t know how much is left, though.”

He gave her a nod of understanding at that, but she stopped him again when she thought of something else. “Do you know how to use a French press? Or I suppose that isn’t what you would call it. It’s a canister where you pour the water over the grounds and let it steep for five minutes before you push the filter down and pour out the coffee.”

Cloud looked slightly confused at her description, but Genesis spoke up. “I believe I understand what you are describing. It should be no issue.”

She nearly laughed at the fact that it was Genesis that understood, but managed to hold it in. She was still grinning when she spoke, though. “Of course, it would be you. Well, the grinder is next to the press. I won’t be long.” She didn’t wait for any of them to respond before she started jogging again. She only put one headphone in that time though.

* * *

After her jog, she took a quick shower before she felt like approaching the rest of them. She smiled when she smelled the coffee when she opened her bedroom door. At least that was one less thing to worry about, although she figured she would need to make her own anyway. 

When she walked into the kitchen, both Sephiroth and Caius were standing near the table in quiet conversation. Sherry realized that the two of them seemed to be getting along well. When she thought about it, that fact wasn’t so surprising. They were both serious to a fault and dedicated to their jobs. She also noted that Noel had joined Cloud and Zack. It was mostly the two brunettes that were chatting, which also wasn’t a surprise. She noticed that Genesis was walking out of the kitchen with a cup in hand. When he held it out to her, she wasn’t sure what to think. 

He smirked at her confused look. “I heard the shower stop. Since you seem to like coffee, I thought you might appreciate a cup ready for you.”

She gave him a genuine smile as she took it from him. “Thank you!”

She noticed it already seemed to have cream, so she took a sip. She was apprehensive at first, but she was pleased to find there was no sugar. She smiled up at him again. “How did you know?”

He smirked and shrugged slightly. “Deductive reasoning. You had cream, but you didn’t know how much sugar there was. It was an educated guess that you preferred cream with no sugar.”

She found herself smirking at his self-satisfied look. She gave him a nod before she turned to everyone else. “I will have to go shopping this morning. I will get enough for several days just in case, so I will likely be gone for a couple of hours. I don’t really know what you all might do, but the woods around here are mostly empty between here and town. It isn’t quite hunting season yet, so you should be safe to explore a little if you would like.”

Both Caius and Noel gave her strange looks, but it was Caius that spoke first. “You are only allowed to hunt during certain seasons?”

She sighed as she realized it was just one more thing that was different. She gave him a nod, though. “Yes. Not all hunting is done for food here, so to keep the wildlife from being too exploited, ideal times of year were decided on many years ago. Anyone caught hunting outside of those times will be penalized. There are very few exceptions. The only ones I know of around here are the wild hogs. They are a nuisance, so there is no limit on them.”

Noel spoke up next. “I think I understand. It’s a trading system, right? Is that why you need to shop?”

She gave him a nod. “Yes, well sort of. I could spend days trying to explain livestock and economics, but not this morning.” She paused at that point and looked Noel over again before nodding to herself. “Would you like to come with me to see? I could use the help carrying everything anyway.”

He looked shocked, but both Cloud and Genesis spoke up. Since they were talking over one another, she had a hard time hearing them, but she got the gist of what they were saying and held up a hand to stop them. She gave them both a pointed look. “First of all, most of you would draw too much attention in public. Not only are you eye-catching, but the way you are dressed would likely cause problems. We can address that if you end up being stuck here for more than a couple of days, but for now, please don’t push to go with me. Besides-“

She cut herself off at that point, but Sephiroth gave her a knowing look when he spoke. “You want to speak to him while you are out.”

She noticed it was not a question, but she nodded anyway. She hesitated to say anything, but she knew she had to give her purpose for choosing Noel first to satisfy them. Or at least part of it. “I have reason to believe it will be important that I speak to you in a specific order. I think that either Noel or Cloud should be first, but…” She looked at Cloud with a raised brow before she continued. “Out of those two, Noel would be less likely to stand out if he goes with me.”

Cloud gave her a confused look, but it was Genesis that spoke up with a sneer. “You expect the rest of us to simply languish here while you are gone?”

She snorted at his dramatization before she pointed down the hall. “If you are bored, I have a large selection of books. I am sure you can find something to keep you occupied. All I ask is that you don’t touch anything else in my office, please.”

He raised a brow at her. “How can you presume to know what I might be interested in?”

She nearly rolled her eyes, but she did shake her head. “It is also a wide variety. Just look. You can yell at me later if you don’t find something.” She then turned back to Noel. “Now, if we plan to eat any time today, we need to get going. Will you be coming?” His look was solemn when he nodded. She didn’t say anything else before she grabbed her keys. 

It wasn’t until they were several minutes down the road that Noel finally spoke. “You are afraid that when the timeline changes that there will be nothing to keep the paradoxes from collapsing the timelines and best case, I will cease to exist. Right?”

She had been shocked from her thoughts when he spoke, but only gave him a grim look and a nod. “That is a very succinct summary. I still don’t understand everything that I was shown, but in your case especially, I can’t tell if you will even be born in the changed timeline. Caius, the Caius you know, created so many paradoxes that led up to the destruction of Cocoon. If it isn’t destroyed, I can’t say what the future in your time would be like. I’m certain that it won’t be as bleak, but there is no guarantee.”

Noel nodded and looked out the window. It was several more minutes before he finally turned back to her. “I can’t say I’m not scared of the thought of ceasing to exist, but if it means the people I love get to have a better future, how can I complain.”

By that point, they had arrived. It wasn’t until after they got a shopping cart and were walking down a lonely aisle that she finally responded. “Noel, I’m not surprised that you figured it out already, but there are probably a few things you should know. I’m not sure if it will make it better or not, but there is no reason for you not to know what the possibilities are.”

He was looking around with curiosity when she spoke, but his face was serious when he looked back. “I already know enough to have realized that if I do live, I will never know Caius. He was never meant to be in my time.”

She gave him a nod, but her expression turned sad. “You won’t know Yuel either. They were both ‘blessed’ by Etro. Yuel was cursed to live over and over, a new person and personality every time. If Caius never receives eternal life, then Yuel will not be cursed either. There may or may not be a Seeress, but if there is, it won’t be her.”

Noel stopped in the middle of the aisle and looked at her in shock. It quickly faded as he caught up to her. He was wearing a frown, though. “I hadn’t realized that, but it makes sense. I still can’t say that it wouldn’t be for the better. Humanity wouldn’t be dying out, right?”

She wished she had definitive answers for him. She knew thinking about it had to be tearing him up, but she also knew he would be alone otherwise. He had initially set out on his journey because all of humanity was gone. Despite how she was torn up at the thought of him losing what he knew, she also knew it would give humanity a chance on Pulse. She put her hand on his arm to try and soften what she was about to say. “I can only guess that would be the outcome. I can’t see the future, but I don’t see why Etro would have instigated this otherwise. And I am sure she had a hand in it since both you and Caius are here.”

He gave her a nod before he started looking around absently again. She knew he now had a lot to think about, even if they would have little control once she talked to Caius. No matter how things turned out, it all hinged on whether the Guardian was willing to believe or not. They cleared a few more rows before Sherry remembered something else that might make a difference. She knew it would hurt Noel, but he deserved to know what would happen if nothing changed.

She softly called out to him to pull him from his thoughts. “Noel, there is one other thing to think about as well. “If Caius lives and dies a normal life, then Etro will have no reason to pull Lightning. Cocoon wouldn’t be as affected by his life, I don’t think, so their journey is likely to still happen. I can’t be sure, but if they do, then the people from Cocoon will probably be the progenitors of the remaining humanity on Pulse.”

His look turned contemplative, but he finally nodded. “You’re probably right. At least Sarah and Lightning will be together when it’s all over.”

Sherry closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she spoke. She didn’t want to say what she was about to, but Noel needed to know. “There is one other thing. If… look, I don’t want to hurt you but, if you keep going, if you defeat Caius, Sarah will die. She is a Seeress. Every change she sees will force her down the same path as Yuel. You can’t stop it unless the changes never have to be made in the first place.”

Noel stopped still, and when Sherry looked to him, she could see the pain clearly in his eyes. His voice was choked when he denied her. “That can’t be!”

She stopped with him and could feel tears in her own eyes. At that moment, she didn’t care if anyone walked down the aisle and saw them, she couldn’t stand doing nothing. She quickly wrapped him in a tight hug. She didn’t think about the fact that they were still strangers for all intents and purposes. All she knew was that he was hurting, and she couldn’t stand the sight of it.

It was several moments before he wrapped her in a crushing hug. She could hear him trying to fight to get his breathing back under control. Neither of them noticed that several people started down that row, only to turn around at the sight of them. One old woman even blushed at the sight before she decided to look for something else.

After several minutes, Noel finally released her and stepped back. She could tell he was still hurting, but he had control again. She could also tell he understood, and his words confirmed it. “The Eyes of Etro.”

He didn’t need to say anything else. She nodded. “Yes, and Sarah knew it would happen. I don’t know if it had happened yet before you were brought here, but you two got separated after a confrontation with Caius. He told her then what would happen if she continued, and she made the choice knowing the probability of it.”

She could see the pain flare in his eyes, but she also saw understanding and determination. His voice no longer waivered when he spoke. “We can’t let that happen. I will do whatever I can to help you prevent it.”

Sherry couldn’t make her voice work, so she squeezed his hand and gave him a nod. She wasn’t certain if she was angrier that he had to live through this, or relieved that he was willing to help, knowing the possibilities. Either way, she could feel her heart breaking for him as they finally made their way to finish what they started.


	9. Chapter 9

##  **Chapter 9**

Neither of them spoke on the way back to her house. Sherry didn’t blame Noel for his quiet either. She had given him a lot to think about. Even if he had already declared that he would help, she was sure his mind had to be full of what would happen to him. She really hoped that the visions she had of him in different clothing and unfamiliar surroundings meant that he would be born into a brighter future and would retain no memory of all this pain. She hoped she could do the same for all of them. She knew that it was probable that at least Caius and Genesis would remember coming to Earth and all that entailed, but even so, that would arm them against making everyone else’s life miserable. Or at least she hoped so. Her focus was still unclear to her, but she had a feeling she was on the right track.

When they pulled up, Noel helped her carry everything in. It didn’t escape anyone’s attention that Noel was far more somber the he had been when they left. None of them liked the implications, but no one said anything to Sherry. As soon as she put everything away, she got started on a meal. It was already late morning, so she decided to forgo breakfast foods and opted for lunch instead.

All the way through to clean-up, there was very little talking outside of the things necessary to organize everything. She was surprised when Cloud and Zack offered to clean in her stead, since she was providing the meal. She wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to let someone else wash dishes. That was her least favorite chore.

While they finished that, Sherry went into the living room. She found both Caius and Sephiroth were talking again and, to her amusement, Genesis had one of her fantasy novels and seemed to be absorbed. She looked around but didn’t see Noel. Caius noticed her looking and spoke up. “He went outside as soon as he was finished eating.”

Her brows furrowed down, but she gave him a nod. She started to head out to look for him, but she stopped before she reached the door. She was probably the last person he wanted to see at the moment. Instead she turned back to Caius. “Would you mind trying to teach me to use magic? I don’t know how long this will take, but I would rather have a basic understanding of what might happen instead of having it surprise me.”

At her request, the others all turned to her with interest. Especially Genesis. She realized that seeing magic without materia would probably fascinate them as well, so she ignored them while she waited for a response.

Caius must have noted their curiosity as well, since he simply stood and gestured toward the door. “I noticed an isolated clearing nearby that would work.”

She gave him a nod. She knew where he was talking about and agreed that it was a good location. She didn’t have neighbors that were too close but going to where there was no chance of being seen was a good idea. She followed him out and the others trailed after them. They hadn’t quite made it when a thought occurred to her and she turned to the men behind her. “I apologize. I had planned on speaking with you all today.”

Genesis only made a shooing motion for her to continue. “And I am certain you will speak with a couple of us at least, but with the enormity of what we are potentially about to witness, it can wait.”

She tried to clamp down on a laugh, but it came out anyway with a choking sound. When he gave her a dirty look for it, she just grinned. “You do realize that it is commonplace for Caius and Noel, right? That is why I asked him to show me.”

His glare had only slightly lessened as he grabbed her shoulders and turned her to follow Caius. His voice still sounded excited though. “Be that as it may, it is extraordinary to us and I am interested in seeing the differences.”

She laughed again as she allowed him to push her to follow Caius. When they reached the clearing, the Guardian motioned her to join him. He gave the others a blank look before he turned to her. “I do not know if you can produce controlled results right away, but you should be able to feel the magic. If you were attacked, it would most likely manifest on a subconscious level to help you defend yourself. For that reason, it is good that I show you, even if it will only be a few days.”

He pointed to the ground before he sat. She quickly followed suit. Once they were both seated, he started again. “Each person has a unique mix of skills. If a l’cie has the time to gain experience, they can find that they will eventually gain access to most skills, even if their secondary skills will never be as strong as their primary. The key is finding what your innate skills are.”

She nodded. Everything he had said so far sounded familiar. Her problem was that she didn’t know how to find out what hers was. She didn’t have to ask though as he started again at her nod. “In order for you to do that, first you must find the power. I will walk you through several scenarios. You must imagine you are in them and concentrate on what you believe the best solution would be. I will use my own strengths to help guide you to yours.”

She tilted her head a little and gave him a curious look. “Is this how it’s always taught?” In the games they had just known how to use their powers and she knew it wasn’t depicted in the game, so she wasn’t certain how they had learned so quickly. Although, she could remember them being shocked the first time one of them manifested something. Maybe the scenarios were supposed to simulate that.

He shook his head, and his answer both made sense and made her wish they didn’t have an audience. “No, this method is usually reserved for children, if any are unlucky enough to be made l’cie. Most adults on Pulse either know a l’cie or have at the very least seen one, so they already have a basis for understanding. Since you are not from Pulse, I thought it would be best to use this approach first. If you pick it up quickly then we can move on.”

She understood his reasoning, and agreed with him, so she tried not to let the fact that it was a method for children get to her. She closed her eyes at his prompting and listened as he explained the first situation. “You have accompanied a team of hunters to the Steppes. When you reach them, you find that a pack of gorgonopsids is waiting to ambush you all. While there is little chance anyone will die, there are some injured initially. What is your first instinct?”

Surprisingly, Sherry was able to visualize what he described fairly well. She used images of the men around her for the hunting group. When she tried to picture their reactions, her answer didn’t take long. “I would check the wounded first and see if I could help. Once I was done with that, I would try to ice the pack until they could be brought down by the others.”

There was silence for several moments, and she almost opened her eyes. Luckily, Caius spoke before she could. “Good. You have the instincts of a healer and a ravager. We will start there.”

She was surprised at the impressed note in his voice, but she didn’t have long to contemplate it as she suddenly felt a warmth wash over her. “Now start from the beginning and I will talk you through this. You have approached the first hunter and they have a gashed arm from the surprise attack. You lay your hand on them and let your warmth flow into the wound to close it.”

She continued to picture what he was saying with Zack being the one that was injured, since he would have definitely been the one in front. As she pictured what he described, the warmth that she felt seemed to pick up slightly and she could feel it start to build in her wrist before it suddenly shot to her fingertips. The feeling was unlike anything she had ever experienced, and her eyes snapped open. When they did, she was looking into the surprised face of Caius. Apparently, he hadn’t been expecting it either. Luckily for them both, it had been a cure.

She looked down at her own fingers to find a slight blue glow fading as she watched. While she was watching that, Caius had stood and held out his hand to help her up. He was shaking his head as she finally looked to him with a grin. “That was so cool! I’m glad it was a cure though. I would hate to have accidentally hurt you. Did you pull that out of me?”

He gave her a bemused look at her excitement and shook his head. “You were able to produce the spell without my aide. I was not expecting it to happen so quickly. Since you seemed to have a better grasp than I anticipated, we can set up targets. It is certain that one of your primary skill sets is that of a medic. The others will follow closely.”

At that point, Genesis stepped forward. Sherry wasn’t shocked to see the interested glint in his eye. “I would be happy to stand in as a sparring partner. If you are concerned about injuries, I will not attack, and I can cast reflect so nothing reaches me.”

She couldn’t stop the incredulous look she gave him. “I think I need to learn a little more before we talk about sparring. Besides, there is no way in hell I would cast at myself like that unless it was a cure.”

At her words, they all stared at her in disbelief. Finally, she shook her head. “Surely you had considered the fact that even if I had you cast reflect on me that I can’t reflect a reflected spell. Unless I cast it at myself of course.” At that point she gave him a grin. “That might be worth trying.”

Her eyes widened slightly, and she took a step back at the gleam in Genesis’ eyes when she told him that. She was concerned that he might actually take her up on her teasing offer, but they were distracted when Zack interrupted. “But how can you know that? I still can barely keep it straight. If magic doesn’t exist here, how is that possible?”

Before she could even try to formulate an answer, Caius spoke up. “Likely the same way she knew that ice is a gorgonopsid’s elemental weakness.” He gave her a hard look. “You are far more familiar with magic than you let on. From both our worlds from the sounds of it. Why is that?”

She didn’t back down under the weight of his look. She put one hand on her hip and gestured at them all with the other. “I have already told you I am familiar with both worlds due to the stories. Obviously magic would be part of that.”

Genesis narrowed his eyes at her claim. “You say that, however, I looked through your library and didn’t find anything that had to do with anyone here.”

The look she gave him was disbelieving. “First, I doubt you went through them all. There are several hundred books in there. Secondly, the stories are not written. They are told through a different medium, but they are stories just the same.”

When they all gave her curious looks, she realized that she really didn’t want to tell them the truth. For some reason, thoughts of watching them as she played, of their interactions, battles, and everything else, seemed even more intimate than reading about them would have and she found that she didn’t want to tell them about that format. When she caught Sephiroth’s eye however, her worry was crushed. The look he was giving her made sure she understood they would hear the truth, or she would not like the alternative. She swallowed hard and gave him a nod. He only raised a brow.

She turned back to the others and sighed. She wished once again that it had been someone else chosen. She managed to steel her nerves and look them all in the eye one at a time before she continued. “Fine, if you must know, I am familiar with your worlds through a series of games.”

Caius looked confused, but the rest gave her disbelieving looks. Sephiroth’s voice was hard when he finally spoke. “You expect us to believe that our trials have been trivialized for children to play?”

She clenched her jaw and shook her head. “They aren’t really for children, although I know some have played them. Honestly, it is more like an interactive movie than a children’s game. But I can’t deny that I can understand why you are so offended. I wish… I wish it wasn’t like this, for your sakes. The only thing I can offer is that no one really believes they could be true. The level of hardship would be more than most could bear. There might be people lining up to help, but most wouldn’t be able to handle the facts. I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you something different.”

She watched as Sephiroth’s jaw clenched and he turned away. She watched his fists clench several times and wished there was something she could do to make it better for them all. She was pulled from those thoughts by Genesis. “Even with what you have said, you cannot expect us to accept this so easily.”

She gave him a nod. “You’re right.” She found herself floundering and had no idea what to say to make it bearable, as there was no way she could make it right. It was several moments before she finally thought of something that could help. It probably wouldn’t make them feel better about the circumstances, but hopefully it would help them understand at least. “I can understand why this would upset you all but think about it this way. I am sure you all have books you enjoy, that you have read before, correct?”

As she looked around for their nods, she saw that Noel must have joined them at some point and by the look on his face had heard the last part of their conversation. None of them commented though, so she tried to forge ahead. “Ok, well, Genesis, picture this. The book you were reading earlier, let’s say you were walking along and suddenly you were confronted with Richard and he provided you with irrefutable proof that he was real. How would you handle that? What would you tell him?”

Genesis’ look turned contemplative, but his scowl returned when he spoke. “It is not the same as he is obviously a fictional character.”

She growled in frustration. “Yes, he is, and before I met you all in that cave, so were you. To me and the people of this planet anyway. Until I got sucked down this rabbit hole, I never even thought that any of you were more than fictional characters. Characters I empathized with, but characters all the same.”

It was Caius that stepped up and put a hand on her shoulder. His look was hard, but not angry. “I believe I understand what you are trying to say. You cannot be held accountable for someone else sharing stories of our lives because you appreciate them. I will not say that it does not still make me uncomfortable knowing there are so many familiar with the things I have been through, but I know it is not of your doing.”

She gave him a nod as she tried to keep herself from crying again. None of this was fair to any of them. The only light she had was that hopefully most of them would never remember the pain or have to go through it in the first place once they were gone.

After his statement, most of the others left. They all had contemplative looks, but none of them looked angry, at least not when they looked at her. The only ones to stay were Genesis and Caius. The latter of which turned to her with a nod. “We can continue.”

For the next couple of hours Caius had her try several different things and much to her surprise, by the time they were finished, she found that she was a natural with support magic as well as healing and the basic offensive spells. Genesis had watched it all with rapt attention. Every time she caught his eye, she noticed the gleam in them. She doubted it would be long before he asked to have a closer look.

It wasn’t until they were headed back to the house that she chuckled under her breath at the realization that she was basically a red mage. Leave it to her mind to make that connection. She refused to share though when Genesis heard her. The last thing she wanted to do was give them a reminder of the earlier conversation.

When they cleared the woods, Sherry stopped in her tracks. Kaylan was standing next to her car with a worried look and her boyfriend, Jerry, was talking animatedly to Cloud and Zack. The bits that she could hear, didn’t sound very good. She made a beeline for them and gave Kaylan a reassuring look as she ran by. 

When she reached them, the first thing she did was grab Jerry’s arm to get his attention. The look he gave her was relieved, but only for a moment. It turned stormy again as he grabbed her to march her away from the men that had gathered and were watching. 

His voice was concerned, but she could still hear a little bit of anger. “I would never have expected you to put both you and Kaylan in danger like this. What were you thinking bringing this bunch of weirdos home with you?”

She looked over to the men that all wore looks that ranged from curious to stern before she looked back and finally answered. “What did she tell you?”

Jerry made a disgusted noise before he released her and took a step away. His brows were furrowed when he turned back. “She wouldn’t tell me anything at first. It wasn’t until we were on the way back from getting your stuff that she told me about running into these guys in the cave and them somehow convincing you to bring them home. She says that she believes them to be characters from video games.”

He gave her a pointed look before he continued. “Look, I will admit that their costumes are realistic, but have you lost your damned mind?”

She shook her head and took a step back. She had refused to think about this confrontation, and she knew there were others that she still had to think about as well. Now that they were there, she didn’t have any more time to think of what to say and her mind blanked out. She covered her wrist unconsciously as she took another step back.

Jerry shook his head before he spoke in a calmer tone. “I can see something is bothering you.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Do you need help?”

She shook her head, but still couldn’t find her voice. When she didn’t answer, he started to pull her toward the car, but she dug her heels in. When he gave her a confused look, she shook her head again and tried to speak. “I have to stay here. I… I don’t know what to tell you, but I can’t leave.”

At her words, Jerry threw a furious look over to the men that were still watching and grabbed her again. He pulled harder that time and almost pulled her off her feet before she managed to yank her arm from his grip. She had started crying and her voice was a whisper when he turned to look back at her. “They aren’t making me do anything, but I can’t abandon them. I know you won’t believe me, but Kaylan was telling the truth. I… I can’t. I have to stay. The alternative would be worse.”

When she yanked her arm from his grip, he finally noticed the mark on her arm. Despite her words, he grabbed it and flipped her wrist to see what had caught his eye. He looked at the colourful design for several moments before he looked back up to her with a grim expression. “Did they make you do this?”

Her look was confused until she realized he must have thought it was a tattoo only. “Of course not. I was marked when the mako touched me.”

He took a step back and shook his head. He tried to make his voice calm. “Look, I know that you have been under a lot of stress trying to meet your deadline, but this isn’t real. I can help you if you let me.”

This was exactly why she hadn’t wanted Kaylan to tell Jerry. She knew he cared, but without him having been there, making him believe would be next to impossible. She shook her head again and did the one thing she could think of to make him understand. She pulled the power into her fingertips and allowed a small flame to blossom. It didn’t last long, but when she looked up, his face was stunned.

There were no words for several moments before he grabbed her arm again. “What was that?”

“Magic.” That was all she said. 

It was several more tense moments before he spoke. “That’s impossible!”

She only nodded. “It is, but it’s still real.”

He traced the mark on her arm before he looked back up. His expression was torn. “Does that mean you really are a l’cie?”

She nodded again. He looked as if he wasn’t sure if he believed her or not still, but he wrapped her in a tight hug for a moment before he released her and looked down again. Neither of them could find the words they needed, so they stood there like that while they both tried to come to terms with what it meant.


	10. Chapter 10

##  **Chapter 10**

It was several minutes later that Kaylan finally walked over to the two of them, as neither of them had moved. She grabbed Jerry’s hand and looked between them before she spoke to her boyfriend. “So, you believe us now?”

Her question served to break the pall over the two of them. Sherry took a step back and looked at him expectantly as well. He only shook his head at them both. “I don’t know what to believe. I mean I saw fire, but… can you do that again?”

Sherry wasn’t certain if his voice was eager or wary, but she still pulled up a fireball, then she frosted a nearby rock. His eyes grew so wide, she wasn’t certain they wouldn’t pop out. He immediately went to pick the rock up but dropped it and gave her another mixed look. The excitement finally won out, and he was up in her personal space again. “What else can you do?”

She gave him a bemused look and shook her head, but she answered anyway. “So far, I have found that I have mostly support skills; protect, shell, cure, that kind of stuff.”

He held his hand out with a grin. “Can you heal this cut I got at work yesterday?”

At his request, she finally laughed, but she did reach out and touch his hand before she let a little of her power flow into it. When the cut closed, he ran his fingers over where it was before he grabbed her and nearly shook her in his excitement. “Do you know what this means?”

She had been trying to forget what it meant from the moment it happened, and in Jerry’s excitement, she had almost managed to for a little bit. His question instantly brought it back, though, and she felt as if she were about to be sick. Her expression must have registered what she was thinking, because his eyes widened again, and his face lost all color. He dropped her arms and took a step back while shaking his head.

She closed her eyes and swallowed a few times to try and dislodge the lump. She knew Jerry would eventually remember the only two possible fates for a l’cie, which is why she hadn’t wanted him to know about the mark. There was no escaping it though. Finally, she was able to speak, even if it was only a whisper. “Yes, I know what it means.”

Jerry grabbed Kaylan’s hand and pulled her close. His frown was back as he looked between them. His voice had a hard note to it. “You didn’t explain it, did you?”

Sherry shook her head. She knew she probably should have told Kaylan, but she still didn’t know how. When she looked away from them, her eyes landed on her house guests, and she sighed again. They were all watching with interest. She knew she still owed them all explanations, but her friends came first. She did call out to them, though. “We are going for a walk. I’ll be back in a while.”

Both Caius and Sephiroth gave her a nod before they turned into the house. Zack and Cloud looked concerned, but they still followed them. Noel must have already left as he was not there. Genesis was the only one to look upset, but she ignored him and turned back to her friends. “We can walk down to the lake.”

She didn’t wait to see if they were following before she headed toward the woods behind the house. The walk down was both tense and quiet. It wasn’t until Sherry was sure they were out of earshot of the house, even for the enhanced ones, before she finally spoke. She stopped and looked at Kaylan before she turned to face the water. “I knew I would have to tell you eventually, but I didn’t want to hurt you.”

Kaylan finally realized something was very, very wrong by the way the other two were acting. She grabbed Sherry’s arm and turned her, so they were facing. “What are you keeping from me?”

Sherry looked away, but Kaylan shook her slightly. “If it’s as bad as you’re both acting, then I deserve to know. What is going on!”

Sherry had started to cry when she looked back. “There are only two options for any l’cie; unless you want to count dying. You either finish your focus, or you don’t, but neither outcome is good. If you fail, you become a c’eith. A mindless crystal monster that only remembers the pain, guilt, and remorse of your failure. If you succeed, you are granted eternal life… as a crystal statue. To dream forever but never live.”

By the time she was finished speaking, Kaylan had dropped her arm and took a few steps back. She started shaking her head, violently. “No. No! That can’t be right. Why would any all-powerful goddess do that to someone that’s supposed to help? I thought you were supposed to be her champion or something! That’s… I refuse to believe it!”

Sherry had wrapped her arms around herself and was crying in earnest while Jerry wrapped Kaylan in a tight hug. She was still looking at Sherry with wild eyes, but the truth must have finally broken through her denials because she started sobbing. Her voice was broken when she spoke. “Why! You aren’t even from their world! Why would they do that to you!”

Sherry couldn’t stay on her feet and fell to the grass. She didn’t have any answers to that question as she had asked it herself many times. Kaylan broke free of Jerry’s grip and dropped down beside her best friend and wrapped her in a tight hug. They both sat like that, crying for an untold amount of time. Jerry had sat next to them and was rubbing circles along Kaylan’s back. It was the most comfort he had to offer.

It was some time later that they both finally sat back from each other and wiped at their eyes. Kaylan’s voice was quieter, but it was still choked with her emotions. “How long do you have? Will you turn into a monster soon? What do you need to do to succeed?”

Sherry took a deep breath and squeezed Kaylan’s hand. “I don’t know. I was only given snippets of a vision. I have an idea of what they mean, and I’m trying to talk to them all, but honestly, it could be two days, or it could be two months. It could even be years, but I doubt it.”

Kaylan sat and stared at her for several minutes with fresh tears running down her cheeks. She shook her head. “I understand why you didn’t say anything, but you can’t keep this kind of thing from me.” She paused at that point, and her eyes got big before she grabbed Sherry again. “Have you told Daniel yet?”

Sherry closed her eyes and shook her head. That was the most she could get out. She had thought of her brother, but she had no idea how she could explain this to him. He was stationed at an Air Force base halfway across the country. It had been bad enough trying to explain it to Jerry, and he had been in front of her.

Kaylan stood at that point and walked a few steps away. “You know you’ll have to tell him something, and soon. If you don’t know how much time you have…”

Sherry stood and nodded. “I know. There is a lot I have to get done, and I just feel like things are spinning out of control. How am I supposed to tell my brother that I might as well be dead in just a few days or months? How can I tell his girls? I can’t… I can’t think of leaving them and still focus on not becoming a monster. It’s… it’s too much.”

Kaylan wrapped her in another hug and just stood there silently. When they finally separated again, she tried to give her hands a comforting squeeze, but neither of them had been able to stop crying. Finally, Kaylan stepped back a little bit and lifted her chin. “I refuse to let your last days with us be like this. I’ll do anything I can to help, but don’t expect me to accept this.”

Sherry smiled through her tears at her friend’s stubbornness. “Thank you. I know this is hard, but I’m glad you’re here.”

She gave her friend one more hug before she tilted her head back toward the house. “I still have a lot to go over with all of them, but I could use your help with a few things over the next couple of days if you have time, please.”

Kaylan gave her a hard look. “If you think I plan to not spend every spare moment here, you are out of your mind. If I can’t stop… this, whatever it is, then I will damn well make the most of the time we have left.”

Sherry managed a weak laugh. “I don’t want you to jeopardize your job, but I’ll be happy to have you here when you’re able.”

Kaylan gave her a firm nod and tried to look reassuring. Sherry appreciated her effort, even if they both knew this was not the last time they would end up crying together. She grabbed Kaylan’s hand and started back toward the house. “I still need to talk to most of them, but I don’t think anything will change overnight. I expect this to take at least a few days. If you could stick around and help with dinner, that would be great. I also need to go through all the stuff Daniel left and see if any of it might fit them. If not, I may need to get them all at least one outfit. They can’t go out in public like they are.”

Kaylan’s eyes had widened, and she smiled a real smile. “Leave it to you to think of the practical side. I imagine if Daniel left anything, all but Sephiroth and the purple haired guy would be able to find something. Those two are beyond huge.”

Sherry chuckled and nodded. “I’ve felt tiny next to my brother for years, but they take it to a whole new level. I keep reminding myself that I can’t wear heels in the house.” The grin she shot Kaylan was teasing. They both knew that the conversation had turned inane, but Sherry had been correct about not focusing on the bad. If they didn’t have much time, they had to make the most of it.

When they made it back to the house, Kaylan and Jerry brought in the stuff that they had picked up from the campsite before they headed for the spare bedroom. That had been Daniel’s room, so if there were anything left, it would be in his closet or the old dresser that was left.

Sherry left them to the cleanup and turned to her guests. Noel had come back at some point and was sitting at the table and staring out the back doors. Zack and Cloud were not in the house. When she looked around, Sephiroth pointed to the door. “They said they wanted to spar. I believe they went back to the clearing you used earlier.”

She gave him a nod, and thanks before she took a deep breath. “Thank you all for giving me a little time. This is hard for my family.”

Caius gave her an understanding look, but Genesis asked the question that both he and Sephiroth obviously shared. “Family? I was under the impression the young woman was your friend.”

She chuckled slightly as she thought about it, and she shrugged. “I’m not certain that we can technically claim to be family. Her sister is married to my brother, but up until about six months ago, she was living with me. Her blood family is a piece of work, so both of the girls spent most of the last six or seven years here.”

Her answer seemed to spark even more questions for the redhead. “They lived here, and not with your brother?”

Sherry sighed. She hadn’t planned on getting into her own life, but she wouldn’t dismiss the questions. Given how much she knew about them all, it was a fair trade if they wanted to know. “My brother has been stationed out of the country twice, plus he was in basic and tech school for nearly a year, so while his family couldn’t live with him, they lived here. Kaylan moved in at that time too. We’re like one huge family. This house was nearly as full as it is now, with all of them.”

“All of them? Are there more siblings you haven’t yet mentioned?”

Sherry smiled despite her mood. The line of questioning reminded her of the scene in the Hobbit with the dwarves and Beorn. It was kind of funny. She pushed the thought back though and tried to answer. “No, most of my family lives in another state, what’s left of them anyway. My brother and I are it for my mother’s kids. He has a wife and two daughters though, so when they all lived here, it was a houseful.”

Genesis’ eyes had widened in surprise, but it was Caius that grabbed her attention. He was giving her a look that was both understanding and sympathetic. He nodded slightly when he caught her eye. “I believe I understand now. You have taken care of all of them, have you not?”

She had to clamp down hard on the swell of emotion his question caused. It was still fresh from talking to Kaylan. She could only manage a nod. She didn’t mind sharing, but it was still too hard for her to think about. When she finally felt that she could talk without her voice breaking, she changed the subject. “I know it is getting late, so Kaylan and Jerry have agreed to stay and help get dinner ready. Caius, if you feel up to it, we can talk.”

All four men stiffened at her suggestion. It was several moments before he finally answered. “I understand that we all need to speak about what is to come. I do not know that I can prepare for what I fear will be said, so I will agree.” 

He looked at the others to see if they objected. When nothing else was said, he stood and gave Sherry a questioning look. She didn’t get to say anything before Noel stood as well. “Let me come too.”

Caius gave him a curious look. “I was under the impression that these conversations will be personal. Why do you feel the need to even ask?”

Noel looked slightly abashed at his tone, but he didn’t back down. He seemed to firm his resolve and stood straighter before he answered. “In my life, you are the person that taught me everything. You were my mentor and my best friend. I want to help.”

Caius gave the younger man a surprised look before he looked over to Sherry. She sighed before she nodded. “It’s true.”

Caius’ look turned thoughtful, and he seemed to be debating something. Finally, he nodded. “I am not certain if you will be able to assist or not, but I will agree if Sherry does not object.”

She shrugged. “He already knows the outcome, so his presence won’t hurt anything. Are you sure, though? It is personal, and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

Noel looked slightly upset at the idea that his presence would make Caius uncomfortable, but he didn’t say anything. Caius simply looked between them again before he nodded. “If he was indeed my friend, I can understand why he would want to be involved. I have already come to terms with the idea that this story spans centuries, so I will accept all the information I am able. I believe I will need to if I am to decide to act on what you tell me.”

Sherry nodded. He wasn’t wrong. “If that’s agreed, then we can go outside. I am sure we can find a spot for a little privacy.” Both men followed her out and down near where she had been earlier with Kaylan. Sherry tried to ignore thoughts of that conversation as she settled in for the first of the truly uncomfortable discussions.


	11. Chapter 11

##  **Chapter 11**

When Sherry sat in the grass, Caius followed suit, but Noel chose to remain standing. He walked a short distance away and leaned against a tree to watch. She wasn’t sure how this would go down, especially with Noel there as well, but she turned to Caius with a worried look. He looked back expectantly, and she sighed. She couldn’t face him, so she propped her chin on her knees as she started.

She had to try twice before her voice was loud enough to be heard. “I will try to start with the beginning, or at least where I think the beginning is.” She glanced over to him and was surprised to see that he wasn’t impatient, but he obviously wanted to get it over with. She tried again. “From what I understand, a short time after you make it as a full guardian, Paddra is attacked by another city-state. I don’t know a date or who, but the problem is because you had no advance warning.”

His sound of shock drew her gaze. His look was incredulous. “But surely the Seeress would have seen something like that!”

She shook her head. “By the time she saw them, they were already on the Steppes near the entrance to Paddra. You had no time to bolster defences or prepare the people. Your only option was to go meet them head-on. It was made worse by the fact that the enemy had sent a group around to penetrate the city from the other side. It was not seen. Your apprentice died defending the Seeress. You ended up-“

She cut herself off. She wasn’t sure if telling him that was why he took the Ballad name would be a good move. She was afraid it might influence his choice of apprentice, but then she realized if that were the man picked anyway, it wouldn’t matter. She doubted Caius would take the chance of exposing the Seeress to danger, just to save a man he may not have met yet. When she caught his eye, she realized he understood there was something she had stopped herself from saying. She just nodded before she continued. “After it was all over, you ended up commending him for his bravery and took his family name as a show of respect.”

His eyes widened. “Is that why I have heard you and Noel reference me as Caius Ballad?” When she nodded, his look turned contemplative. It didn’t last long though before he looked back to her. “That sounds troublesome, but surely, that is not all?”

She could feel her heart breaking at the prospect of telling him the rest. He was so dedicated, she didn't want to imagine how he would take it. “No, the battle was where it really started. You ended up facing overwhelming numbers, and you were losing. To keep that from happening, to protect the city and the Seeress, you merged with your eidolon, you merged with Bahamut.”

He was shaking his head when she looked over. “I can understand what you are saying, but that is taboo. It is a certain death sentence for any l’cie that try.”

She closed her eyes and swallowed before she could continue. Thinking about what would happen and associating it with the flesh and blood man in front of her was more than she could stand. It wasn’t an abstract anymore. She still found the voice to continue. “It was. Your transformation turned the tide of the battle. You won, but as soon as they sounded the retreat, you fell to your death.”

She could feel the tears pricking her eyes, but she blinked a few times to try and keep them at bay. He was still too shocked to say anything, so she continued. “Etro was moved by your passion and dedication, so she took pity on you and gave you half of her own heart to resurrect you.”

He interrupted at that point, and his voice was reverent. “The Goddess took pity and blessed me? With her own heart?”

She nodded, but she had to look away as her tears finally won and started to fall. She wiped her eyes before she looked back, although it didn’t do much good as they kept falling. “It was no blessing, no matter what her intentions were. You were given immortal life and set to be the guardian of the Seeress for all time.” His confusion was starting to show, and she understood. She was sure he thought that it was a good thing that the Seeress had a guardian that couldn’t die, but the horror took time to set in back then too.

She had to swallow before she could speak again. “You were not the only one affected. When Yuel realized that you would spend eternity alone, bound to your duty and having no other life, she prayed that she could join you. Etro could not grant her the same everlasting life, so she blessed Yuel to be reborn and live over and over and over again. Every Yuel shared the same soul, but they were each distinct, unique individuals. You were there to watch them from birth all the way to every one of their early deaths due to the Eyes. Not once did she live long enough to become a woman. You had to watch her die thousands of times.”

She couldn’t go on from that point, but she didn’t need to. Noel had stood at that point and knelt near the two of them. He didn’t say anything, but he did look like he wanted to help Caius in some way. As for the Guardian, he looked like he had just been slapped. She realized she might as well have. It probably would have hurt far less than what she did do to him.

She was shocked when Caius reached out and touched the tears that were still falling down her face. They came down harder when she heard his broken tone. “You are not lying. Your heart is breaking for this future. Not because of whatever it is that I may perpetrate, but because I will do it out of pain and rage.”

Her brain had obviously taken a vacation at that point as she leaned over and wrapped him in a tight hug. It didn’t take long for her better judgement to catch up and she let him go, but he didn’t look bothered by it. He seemed to be in shock. He still looked over to her when she sat back. “What will happen if this does not change, besides the horrors you have already described. You said I destroy the world?”

She looked to Noel and Caius followed her gaze. The young man nodded and tried to pick up where she left off. He did have a closer connection to the end then Sherry did. “I cannot claim to know how it all works out for certain, but I can tell you that I have spent a long time trying to undo the paradoxes you created as a means to release the chaos of Valhalla into the world.”

Caius’ eyes widened further, and he turned to Sherry. She nodded as well. “Noel and his companion, Sarah, were able to finally defeat you, but that was what you wanted. With the half of Etro’s heart that you carried destroyed, the Goddess no longer had the strength to hold the chaos back. It entered Pulse, and everything was destroyed, suspended in time and forever stagnant. You did it so that Yuel would no longer have to die. She would never grow, but she wouldn’t end either. No one would or could.”

He stood at that point and walked away. Sherry knew none of what she told him was pleasant, and there was no way he could accept it without thinking it through. She noticed Noel stand again, but he gave the older man time and space to think. Sherry buried her face in her crossed arms and quit trying to fight the tears. She was glad that she had stuck with her glasses. Her eyes already felt like sandpaper, and there was no way things were going to get easier.

She was drawn out of her self-absorption when Noel suddenly dropped to the ground next to her. She looked up and nearly screamed when she saw his panicked face. “Noel!”

Her cry brought Caius’ attention around, and he was instantly by their side. He knelt and helped Noel to his knees at least. It was at that point that Noel held his hands up. Sherry gasped when she saw his hands starting to fade. She grabbed onto his arm. “Noel!” She had so much more she wanted to say, but her brain was scrambled, and nothing else was coming out. 

After a few tense seconds, he turned to her with a sad smile. She could tell he was still scared, but his words astonished her. “You must be doing something right. I know that where I’m headed this will all be a dream, if that. I have faith that you’ll finish your focus.” He then turned to Caius. “Thank you for everything, but this especially.”

Caius looked confused and a bit disturbed, but they didn’t have time to do anything else. Noel was quickly turning more translucent by the second. His fear finally broke, and he looked up. “It’s so cold.”

Sherry felt a sob break out of her as she flung her arms around the disappearing man. He was still present enough to appreciate her gesture. “I would like to say I won’t forget you. He almost grinned. “Even if I do, I’ll always be grateful.”

They both knew he would never live this life, so memories of this were not an option. Still, she nodded to him and didn’t let go until he was so transparent that she nearly fell through him. At that point, she heard his whisper to Caius as he disappeared completely. “Good luck, Caius.”

Both Caius and Sherry sat in silence for several minutes after Noel was gone. Finally, Caius turned to her with a frown. “What happened?”

She sat back again and tried to wipe the tears off again. “His timeline, the world he was born into, no longer exists. I’m guessing that even though you didn’t say anything, you took my words to heart and decided to change something. It had to be something drastic as well.”

He looked stunned, but only briefly. He sat beside her again and gave her a hard look. “You knew this would happen.”

She shook her head. “Not for sure. I suspected something like this would happen though, that is the main reason I wanted to talk to him first. Now that I know for sure, I will have to let everyone know.”

He sat in silence for a short time more before he looked back with a troubled look. “Does this mean that if I change my future that he will never live?”

She sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know for sure.” She looked over with sad eyes. “I don’t think that is the case, though. In the pieces of the vision that I was able to understand, I saw him in a place I had never seen before. I think it is probable that he will be born, but into a much better world. He looked happy, at least.”

Caius took a few moments to take in what she said before he nodded. “We should return to the others.”

She nodded and took his offered hand to stand. The walk back to the house was silent. The little bit of chatter that was going on stopped as soon as they entered. It took a moment for the quiet to register with Sherry, and she finally looked up to see everyone turned to them with various shocked faces. She sighed again and headed up the few stairs to the living room. 

She was stopped when Kaylan rushed up to her. The girl grabbed her arms and looked over her face. “What happened?”

Sherry shook her head and turned to look at the men that were all watching. “Noel is gone.”

Jerry stood from where he had been talking to Cloud and gave her a shocked look. “He just left?”

Sherry was so ready to go to bed and let the rest of them be damned for the evening, but she sighed and tried to explain. She knew she would have to tell them soon, anyway. She might as well get it over with. “No.” She turned to Caius at that point, and he gave her a slight nod. She turned back to the rest. “After I spoke to Caius, he must have decided to change something that significantly changed the future of Pulse. As a result, the Noel we knew, the Noel from the bleak future of Pulse, ceased to exist. I have reason to believe that he will still be born, but the world he will be born into will not know the misery of the one he originally came from.”

Several of them started talking at once. Sherry ignored them all as she clung to Kaylan. The girl had wrapped her in a tight hug as soon as she saw tears start to fall again. The noise went on for several minutes longer before Caius spoke above them all. “Enough! We will get nowhere this way. Give her a few moments to collect herself, and she will explain.”

Sherry wanted to scream in frustration, but she released Kaylan and leaned against the wall. She looked them all over once more before she closed her eyes and started speaking. “I suspected this might happen and told Noel this morning. He understood and was willing to help if it meant Pulse would be better for it. As for the rest of you, now that he is gone, I believe you will disappear as well when those before you in the timeline believe and figure out what they can do to make changes.”

She turned to Cloud. “If I am correct, then you will be the first to disappear. Your lives are not as far apart as Caius and Noel, so you will all be born, but there were certain cataclysmic events in each of your lives that fundamentally changed who you were. If those things never happen, then you will become different people, lead different lives. The futures you were from will collapse in on themselves, which is why you will disappear. You, as you are now, will no longer be.”

None of them spoke for several moments. She was sure it couldn’t be easy to hear that you would cease to exist. Even if another version of you would. It was surreal for her, so she could imagine how they all felt. The silence was broken when Zack grabbed her and gave her an anguished look. “Does that mean that Angeal won’t die!?”

She put a comforting hand over the one he had on her arm. “That’s part of the end goal.”

“If that’s the case, then I don’t care what happens to me!”

He had barely finished speaking before Genesis was next to them. His face was contorted in the scariest look she had seen on him yet. “Angeal dies!?”

Sherry had to repress a sigh. She knew she was going to have to tell Genesis that news anyway, but this had to be a harsh way to learn it. She tried to keep her voice even in an attempt to calm him down. “I had hoped to let you know in a different way, but yes, he does end up dying.”

Genesis took a step back, and she was afraid for a moment that he was going to make something explode. Before he could, Sephiroth spoke. “While I am not happy to hear this either, we cannot take our anger out on Sherry. She has done nothing to warrant it.”

It was clear Genesis couldn’t speak. Instead of yelling again, though, he turned and stormed outside. Sherry hoped he had enough sense not to burn the forest down, but she knew that following him out would be a bad idea. She was both surprised and pleased when Sephiroth gave her a slight nod and left as well. She hadn’t expected him to go after his one-time friend, but she felt he might believe her at least a little. He had been polite after their first encounter and had even supported her some. If he did believe her, it would explain his wanting to connect with someone he thought had been lost to him.

Once those two were gone, she turned back to the remaining three. Caius had already moved to sit, and she could tell he was still deep in thought, so she spoke to Zack and Cloud. “I know this can’t be easy news to hear, but I am nearly positive this is what is supposed to happen.”

Zack looked torn, and she could understand after his outburst, but his expression quickly turned to determination. “I wasn’t kidding. If the future has Angeal and all the others killed in it, then it will be worth a little sacrifice. Especially since you say that I’ll be there to see it.”

She nodded. “You won’t even remember all of the bad stuff, as it will never happen to you.”

Zack’s brows drew down, and he shook his head. “It’s a hard concept for me to wrap my head around, but I understand the gist of it. It’s just kind of weird when I force myself to think about what it means.”

She put a comforting hand on his arm briefly before she spoke to Cloud. “Are you alright? You’ve been quiet.”

Cloud seemed to shake himself out of a stupor and nodded. His voice was nearly inaudible when he spoke. “I’m just surprised. It makes sense, but it’s just that-“

He cut himself off at that point, but Sherry gave him an understanding look. “I know things are hard for you right now, but I also know that up until you found out, things were finally looking better for you. You have a family, even if you are scared to stay close to them, they occupy your heart.”

His look was torn when he nodded. “Yeah.”

He didn’t need to say anything else. She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. “I don’t think anything I tell you will make this better, but I will do what I can.”

He finally shook his head. “No, Zack’s right. If we can live to see a better future with all the loved ones we lost, then it’s worth it. I won’t say the thought doesn’t bother me, but… in the end, it’ll be worth it. After all, if what you said is true, then we will only disappear if the bad stuff is diverted, right?”

She gave him a nod, which he returned. He didn’t say anything else before he headed downstairs. It was at that point that Sherry realized that everyone but she and Caius must have eaten already. She turned to ask him if he wanted anything, but when she saw his face, she decided against it. Instead, she turned to Kaylan and Jerry, who had retreated to the kitchen when Genesis had jumped up. She tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace. “Is there anything left? I think I’m going to eat and go to bed. This has been a crazy day.”

Kaylan immediately pulled a covered plate out of the microwave and handed it to Sherry. She did manage to smile at the gesture. “Thanks.” She sat down to eat, but before she got far, she turned to her two friends again. “What are your plans?”

Kaylan sat beside her with a frown. “This is already taking a toll on you. I can see it. Have you stopped crying today at all?”

Sherry gave the girl a lopsided smile. “I’ll be fine. I’ve been through too much to be beaten now. I’ll just have to figure out how to deal with it.”

Kaylan shook her head with a frown. “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay.” She stood at that point, and Jerry joined them. The girl gave Sherry another frown. “I know it has only been a few days, but you need to think about yourself too. Don’t overwork just because they’re getting upset. If I have to, I will kidnap you.”

Sherry stood and gave them both a hug. When she sat back down, she was smiling. “Right now, I don’t think I would object if you did. Just make sure to get me back in a reasonable amount of time.”

She had only been joking, but Kaylan suddenly got a glint in her eyes. She didn’t say anything, though. Jerry patted Sherry on the shoulder. “We’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t let them push you around.”

Sherry waved them out and finished her food. She didn’t bother doing more than rinse her plate off when she was done. The rest could wait for the next day. She noticed Zack was still sitting at the table and she patted his arm as she walked by. “If you would like to talk, I can listen. Not just about what we need to talk about either. I’ve been told I listen well, even if I’m not so good at comforting.”

He gave her a sad smile. “That’s okay, but I’ll keep it in mind.”

She gave him a nod and started to turn but stopped and spoke again. “Would you mind letting everyone know that I am done for the day? At least if they come in before you head downstairs anyway.” He gave her a nod. That was enough for her as she was more than ready to find her bed. It wasn’t very long before exhaustion won out and she passed out.


	12. Chapter 12

##  **Chapter 12**

The next morning, Sherry was woken by the sound of voices. They weren’t loud enough for her to hear what was being said, but there were several of them. She got up with a groan as memories of the previous day started flitting through her head and quickly got dressed. She was reluctant to leave her temporary sanctuary, as thoughts of what she still had to deal with tried to overwhelm her. She finally pushed them back and opened the door with a sigh.

When she got into the living room, she stopped and stared in confusion. Kaylan was sitting on the chaise with a pile of clothes next to her that she was handing out to the men. They were all eyeing them with looks ranging from thankful to disgust. The last was mainly Genesis.

When Sephiroth caught sight of her, he paused and gave her a nod before he spoke. “Kaylan was explaining that our current clothing would cause issues if we were to go anywhere in public. These were your brother’s?”

Sherry nodded and looked over the pile. There was more left than she had thought. She remembered that Daniel hadn’t taken much with him when he left, and once he was out of basic, his tastes had changed, so it wasn’t that surprising. She looked back at the rest of them. “Yes, I didn’t realize he left this much behind, but he didn’t really need most of it. He wears uniforms ninety percent of the time.”

Sephiroth’s gaze turned contemplative. “You mentioned it yesterday as well. Your brother is a Soldier?”

Sherry noted his emphasis on the word Soldier and shook her head. “Not like you. He is part of a branch of the military called the Air Force. His focus is on repairing and maintaining the fleet of F-16s that they use.”

He gave her a confused look. “F-16s? What are those?”

Sherry sighed again. There were so many differences. She finally pointed to a group of photos lined up on a hutch in the corner. “They are airplanes. Fighter jets. If you look at the picture that is second from the left, you can see us posed in front of one. That was taken when he graduated basic.”

All of the men turned to look where she pointed. Genesis was the first to turn back. He looked her up and down with a shocked look. “If that photo is anything to go by, then your brother is quite large. I had assumed that would not be the case judging by your stature.”

She glared at him but tried not to let her irritation show. “I’m the runt, okay!” She took a deep breath and tried again. “Most of my family are taller than me. My mother was a tall woman and my father even taller. I don’t know why I’m so short, but that’s just the way things go.” She then indicated the clothes that were all but forgotten. “Be thankful he’s so tall. At least I have something you can wear until we can get you something new.”

Several of the others gave him a glare, but it was quickly forgotten as they all found something they could change into. When most of them had walked away, Kaylan turned to her with a bright smile. “You know, next week the temperatures are supposed to start dropping. That means we don’t have much time left to go swimming. I was thinking about going today. We both still have a couple of days left of our vacation, so that’s what we’re doing.”

Sherry stared at her in shock. It wasn’t that the thought didn’t appeal to her, but she knew there was still much to be done. She knew she couldn’t just ignore her focus or her guests for that matter.

Whatever answer she was about to give was cut off when Genesis cut into their conversation. “I understand why you might want to spend time with your friend, but she has obligations that she cannot walk away from. Your _swimming_ will have to wait.”

Sherry started to glare at him, but she was caught off guard when Kaylan stood and nearly started yelling. “She is not your slave, jackass. Even though your Goddess decided to rip her from her family and ruin all our lives, she has handled this whole mess with far more grace than I could have managed. Just be thankful that she didn’t say screw you all and leave you to whatever fates you could find for yourselves. She’s too damn selfless, but that doesn’t mean that I have to put up with watching her run herself into the ground for you. I _will_ be taking her today, whether you like it or not.”

By that time, all of the others had reappeared. They all looked to be in various stages of getting redressed, but their focus was on the trio in the living room. None of them got to ask what was going on before Kaylan took a few deep breaths and continued, a little calmer that time. “Look, I am positive she’ll be too nice again and ask if you all want to go too because she’s crazy like that, but us going isn’t optional. Period.”

There was complete silence after that for several moments. Sherry was both frustrated and awed at her friend’s unwavering love and support. She should have known something like this would happen after Kaylan’s threat the night before. Her attention was pulled when Caius stepped forward. He gave them both an understanding look. “I did not hear everything, but from what I gathered, you wish to take Sherry somewhere to relax for the day? Or at least part of it?”

Kaylan gave him a nod. She could tell by his expression that he was probably the most understanding. She didn’t realize why, but she wasn’t going to start yelling again. Sherry gave Caius a thankful look when he spoke again. She shouldn’t have been surprised at his support since he was the one that would understand her predicament the best.

“While it is important for her to finish her focus in a timely matter, it will do none of us any good for her to fail due to emotional distress. I, for one, have no problem with the slight delay.”

Sephiroth had come to stand next to him. “I agree. I do not understand everything, but from what I have gathered, I will not object.”

Sherry gave both men a grateful nod. She hadn’t expected them to be so understanding, but she was glad the issue wasn’t worse. She hadn’t considered taking time for herself, but when Kaylan brought it up, the idea instantly grew to the point that she knew she would have been upset if they hadn’t been able to go.

She finally spoke up at that point. “Kaylan was right about one thing. Well, more than one really, but the point is that I do want to ask if any of you would be interested in joining us. I am sure there are shorts you can all use, and if not, we can get some. A day spent in the water is usually a good way to ease a little stress.”

Caius gave her a smile, but she could still see the sadness behind it when he spoke. “While I appreciate the offer, I believe there is too much for me to consider right now. Another time perhaps.”

Sherry wasn’t surprised by his answer. After their talk, she would have been surprised if he had accepted. She then turned to the rest. Zack was grinning at her. “That sounds like fun! Is it nearby?”

Sherry laughed at his enthusiasm before she turned to Kaylan. The girl nodded. “I was thinking about going to the old quarry.”

Sherry nodded in agreement. “That would be perfect.” 

She then turned to the rest. Genesis and Sephiroth both looked unsure, but Sephiroth finally nodded. “I would like to learn more about this world as well. This could be a good opportunity to do so.”

Genesis shook his head and gave them a look of mild disgust. “All that awaits you is a somber morrow, no matter where the winds may blow.” He looked around at everyone one again before he sneered. “I suppose it would be better than staying here with the morose.”

Sherry glared at him. As much as she appreciated his character in the game, he was starting to get on her nerves. She didn’t say anything, though. Instead, she turned to Cloud, as he was the only one that hadn’t said anything yet. “What about you?”

Cloud looked around as well before he sighed. Before he could answer, Zack spoke up. “Come on, Spikey, it’ll be fun! And we could use a little breather.”

Cloud smiled at his friend before he turned back to Sherry. “I suppose it would make sense for me to go too.”

She gave him a nod before she turned to Caius. “Is there anything you need before we leave?”

His smile was a touch lighter when he shook his head. “No. I will likely take the time to meditate on all I have learned. Come back refreshed.”

She gave him a grateful nod before she turned to the rest. “I will gather some things, and we can leave in an hour. Is that good?”

Kaylan gave her a quick hug before she pushed her back towards the hallway. “I already have a cooler full of drinks and some snacks. You go get changed and gather some towels. We can leave quicker that way.”

Sherry laughed at Kaylan’s pushiness but moved to do what had been asked. She was still grinning as she looked for her swimsuit. Kaylan was not always so aggressive, but when it came to something she cared about, the girl became a bear to deal with. Sherry had always adored that about her.

Once she was changed, she slipped a pair of shorts and a t-shirt on over her suit and grabbed several towels out of her hall closet before she headed back to the living room. She was surprised to see everyone that planned to go, in the living room already. She froze at the sight of all the men in shorts. She wasn’t sure which was more shocking, Sephiroth or Genesis. She didn’t stare for long, though. They were both bad for her heart, even if they did have on t-shirts too.

When Kaylan caught sight of her, she grinned and stood. “Alright, We can take my car too, so it won’t be so crowded. Jerry had to work, but I can drive. Who’s with me?”

The men all looked to Sherry with questioning looks. She shrugged. “I suppose it might be best for Cloud to drive my SUV again, and I’ll be up front to point the way, but other than that, it’s up to you. Just know that with those arrangements, it leaves room for two more of you to sit comfortably in my vehicle.”

Zack piped up at that point. “I can ride with Kaylan. That should give everyone plenty of room, right?”

Sherry grinned at him and nodded. “Thanks. That should work. Besides, it isn’t too far. Maybe fifteen minutes from here.”

Once that was decided, they all headed to the cars. Sherry assigned each of them a towel and warned them not to lose it as she didn’t want wet seats later. That was all that was needed before they were on the way.

Their destination was down a short dirt road that ended near a shallow pebble beach. Across from that, the walls of the abandoned quarry rose several yards, with a small waterfall in the far corner that helped provide the water that kept the place from draining. It wasn’t used often since the water was deep, but Sherry had been swimming there since she was still in high school.

She got out and smiled back to Kaylan before she walked down to the beach and laid her towel down. She didn’t plan on laying out, though. She didn’t bother waiting for any of the men to join her before she shucked off her shorts and t-shirt and headed to the water. Kaylan wasn’t far behind her. She got to the point that the water was thigh high before she grinned at her friend and dove forward. She swam underwater for about twenty feet before she came up with a laugh. She gulped down a few quick breaths while she treaded water before she turned back to see the men still hadn’t moved. She laughed again. She had no intentions of trying to persuade them to join her. If they wanted to get in the water, that was all on them.

She turned at that point and swam over to the cliff near the waterfall before flipping over and floating there for a few minutes. The sight of the water pouring down and the sound of it hitting the pool next to her had her relaxing quickly. She laid there like that, soaking up the sun and letting the water lull her. It wasn’t long until her gaze landed on a small outcropping above her head, and she grinned.

She moved from her relaxed position just in time to see Zack toss Kaylan deeper into the water. Sherry froze for a moment, but when Kaylan came up laughing, she relaxed and smiled. She also noticed that both Genesis and Sephiroth had made their way to the water’s edge, but they still looked dry. She gave a mental shrug. They could sit and be bored if they wanted. She had decided that today was not a day to care about it. She also noticed that Cloud had made himself comfortable further up the beach. He had not removed his shirt, and when she remembered why she almost wanted to kick herself. She hoped that Zack wouldn’t try and push the blonde into the water, as that could end badly. If it looked like he might try, then she would do what she could to stop it. For the moment, she had other things on her mind.

She quickly swam back towards the shore and grabbed Kaylan when she was close enough. Her friend gave her a curious look at the face she was giving her. Sherry pointed back over her shoulder. “I’m going to go for a dive. Do you want to come with me?”

Kaylan’s eyes widened. “Uh, I’m not sure I can.”

Sherry shrugged. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just thought I’d ask. Besides, you always have to option of going feet first.”

Kaylan shook her head. “Still, that’s what, a hundred feet?”

Sherry laughed and shook her head. “Not even close. It might be sixty or sixty-five.”

Kahlan gave her a look like she had lost her mind. “That’s still ridiculously high. No thanks.”

Sherry shrugged and grinned. “Suit yourself. I’ll see you in a few.”

With that, she made her way to the beach. She briefly paused and thought about grabbing her shoes, but she decided she would just be careful. She would have to leave them at the top anyway, and she didn’t want to retrieve them.

As she started up the path that snaked around the edge of the quarry, she could feel someone watching, but she ignored them. When she reached the top, she looked over the edge and swallowed. She was no longer afraid of heights like she had been when she was little, but looking over the edge of a cliff still made her heart race. She grinned when she stepped up to the edge. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before she finally opened them and jumped away from the cliff.

She had bent at the waist and allowed gravity to pull her head and hands down. The split second she spent falling had her heart speeding in her chest, but the water parted around her hands smoothly as she plunged into the depths. It was several seconds before she burst through the water and started laughing.

She looked back at the beach and saw several of her group standing. Kaylan gave her a wave with a grin. She returned the gesture and started back towards shore, but didn’t get far. She turned in the water and looked back up to where she had jumped from. As she eyed the cliff, she wondered how far she would be able to get up the side before she couldn’t go any farther. She knew it was not as straightforward as it looked. 

With that thought in mind, she headed back to the cliff to see if there was a place she could climb. To her pleasure, the whole face was jagged enough that she wondered if she might be able to get all the way up it.

Back on the shore, Zack was watching with rapt attention. When Sherry started to climb up instead of walking back around, he turned to Kaylan with wide eyes. “Is she always like this?”

Kaylan laughed. “Sometimes. I mean, you did find us climbing around in a cave. This shouldn’t be shocking.”

He looked back again before he jumped up. “I want to try!”

Kaylan pointed to the path. “Just follow that around. It’s small, but clear enough you shouldn’t have any trouble. Just make sure you let Sherry know before you jump, so neither of you gets hurt.”

He shot her another grin before he practically ran toward the little dirt path. He slowed significantly when he reached the first rock, but he was still enthusiastic. Once he was gone, there was silence on the beach as they all watched Sherry slowly make her way up the side of the cliff. Kaylan’s smile faded when Sherry made it more than halfway up and seemed to slip. She quickly righted herself, and Kaylan swore under her breath. She was going to have to give the daredevil a reminder that she was going to give her a heart attack with those stunts if she wasn’t more careful.

Sherry was not quite to the top when Zack appeared at the edge. They all watched as he pulled her up the last little bit, and they began to talk to each other. Not even the ones with enhanced hearing could understand them, but it was evident that they were excited. When Sherry turned to dive again, Genesis spoke with a contemplative tone. “I am finding that it is becoming harder to predict what she will do next. She continues to surprise me.”

Kaylan gave him a confused look, but Sephiroth spoke before she could. “Indeed. I have seen enough to know that this is not the world we come from, but our hostess is the oddest part of all. I am beginning to wonder if I was wrong to assume she might not be able to handle her given task.”

At that point, Kaylan gave them both a grim look. “You guys have no idea. She has had to fight for the life we all have now. She’s the oldest and has been taking care of everything for as long as I have known her. She has demons that she had to fight to keep from consuming her, and yet she is still willing to help when she can. Don’t think for one minute that she is anything less than a miracle for you. I know she has been for me.”

Both men stared at her mutely for several seconds before they turned again at the sound of a second splash. They watched as Zack whooped before he started splashing water at Sherry. None of them noticed Cloud. As worried as he had been at what he had been told so far, watching the two Firsts act so normally eased a knot he had in his chest. It didn’t go away, as he knew the potential for destruction still lurked under their skin, but he was reminded that despite how monstrous they became, they started out as only human. He couldn’t help but hope that this time, they would stay that way.


	13. Chapter 13

##  **Chapter 13**

Sherry had managed to duck under the water to evade Zack’s attack, and further shocked him when she swam back up under him. After she pulled him under unexpectedly, they both came up laughing. When he tried to dunk her, she preempted him and swam a short distance away. When she came up again, she held up her arms. “Peace!”

He eyed her warily, but she didn’t do more than swim until she was close enough to whisper to him. He gave her a curious look when she tilted her head back towards the shore. “Have you noticed that the rest of them haven’t gotten in the water yet?”

He gave her a curious look. “Yeah. So?”

She grinned deviously, and it sparked his curiosity. “How about we cool them off a little. I’m sure the sun has to be warm.”

His eyes widened, and he laughed. “Let’s go!”

She grabbed him before he could take off. Her expression had sobered some. “Just don’t go after Cloud. He has his reasons. Okay?”

Zack frowned slightly. It wasn’t the first time that her words made him worried for his friend, but his concern was quickly wiped away when she took off with another grin. “I’m sure you can beat me there, but I’m not going down easy.”

He grinned and let her have a little more of a head start before he raced after her. He ended up reaching the shallows a couple of seconds before she did, but she barely stopped before she grinned widely and grabbed a double handful of water. Zack could hardly believe his eyes when she tossed it at where Sephiroth and Genesis were seated.

Everyone but Sherry froze in shock. She was laughing like a madwoman as she did it again. By that point, Genesis was on his feet with a scowl. She snickered at the face he was making before she took off back toward the deep part. Zack really had planned on perpetrating the act with her, but when he watched as Genesis stalked into the shallows, he had to take a step back. His gaze was drawn back to the shore when he heard the General call out to his friend. Genesis completely ignored it.

Zack wasn’t sure if Sephiroth looked more irritated or concerned. The girl, Kaylan, was also watching with a look that turned more anxious by the minute. They were all frozen until they heard a shriek. Zack turned to see that Genesis had caught up to Sherry, and even though they were in the deep part of the water, he had managed to lift her over his head. Zack could see her widened eyes as she was suddenly airborne.

Both Zack and Sephiroth hurried into the water, but it was only a couple of seconds later that they both froze when she came back up laughing. She was laughing so hard that she seemed to be floundering. Genesis’ scowl deepened, but to those that knew him, they could tell it was only covering up the fact that he was trying to hide a smile.

When Genesis reached her side, he tried to hold her up, so she wouldn’t go under with her laughter. She finally calmed at his help, but she was still grinning. She wiped at the corner of her eyes where she had started to tear up from laughing so hard. It didn’t do much good as she was still in the water. She managed to start treading water on her own before she spoke. “Well, I guess you are capable of playing around. You know, it doesn’t really hurt to enjoy yourself.”

He frowned slightly. “There are many ways in which I enjoy myself. They normally do not include partaking in childlike behaviour.”

She laughed again, but it was subdued. She gave him a soft smile. “I can understand if it isn’t your cup of tea, and I suppose I should apologize. It’s just that you looked bored.”

He huffed at her assessment, and she chuckled. “Besides, I learned that happiness is what you make it. You need to learn to let go occasionally. Life will try its damnedest to snuff your light out if you let it.”

Genesis was shocked at her words and didn’t respond before she turned and swam back to shore. He wasn’t sure what to make of her unexpected insight. He shook off his introspection when he heard her apologize to Sephiroth as well and headed back to shore.

He had not made it back before she started out of the water. She paused at the edge and wrung the excess water out of her hair before she headed to a bag that she had brought with her. His gaze was caught by an image he had not previously noticed that was etched between her shoulder blades. Her hair had been covering it beforehand. He watched with interest as she knelt to rifle through her things before she turned back. 

“I forgot to mention that I brought sunscreen. I know you’re all pretty pale, but I’m not sure if it’s an issue.” She stopped with a cocked brow when she noticed that both Sephiroth and Genesis were staring. 

Genesis was the first to speak. “While I had already known that you have chosen to decorate your skin quite colourfully, I had not noticed the one on your back. It does not look familiar.”

Sherry blushed when she noticed Sephiroth’s eyes flick down before he met her gaze with a slightly shocked look. She shrugged and tried to ignore their appraisal while she answered. “That’s because it’s my own design. Not that I drew it, because I suck at visual art, but I did give the artist detailed information on what I wanted, and it turned out fairly faithful to the image I had in my head.”

Genesis had moved behind her, and she stood there awkwardly while he studied the design. He finally walked back around. “I recognize Rapier, but none of the rest seem to have anything to do with me. Do they hold any meaning?”

Sherry ignored the looks of the other men, as, by that time, they had all realized what Genesis was talking about. She tried to focus on answering the red-head instead. “Not everything revolves around you.” She ignored his huff as she then pointed to her left shoulder. “Kaylan wanted us to both get our belly buttons pierced together, but I wasn’t interested. Instead, I allowed her to pick this out. She liked the lotus, and I think it’s pretty. The other shoulder is one that Sam and I got together on her eighteenth birthday. Hers is on her back, but it’s the same design.”

Zack cocked his head and gave her a curious look. “Sam is a girl?”

Sherry laughed. “Sam is short for Samantha, and yes, she is my brother’s wife.”

Genesis interrupted again. “There seems to be a common theme. Each of them has ties to your family. The one on your back is the biggest, though. Was it also picked for you?”

She raised a brow. “No, that one represents balance in all things. The balance between the elements, dark and light, day and night, etc. It has more to do with my beliefs. It was also my first one.”

He gave her a curious look at her explanation, but she was done with being on show. She held up the tube in her hand. “You never did say if you wanted sunscreen.”

Sephiroth gave her a confused look. “It blocks the sun?”

She nodded. “Yes, you just put it on your skin, and it helps to keep you from burning. I forget most of the time since it’s not a problem for me, but I wasn’t sure if the mako in your system would keep it from happening to you all or not.”

Once she explained, Sephiroth gave her a curt nod. “I have never had an issue with the sun causing burns, so it would seem it is unnecessary. I do appreciate your concern.”

She chuckled at his formality but didn’t say anything about it. She felt she had already picked on them enough for the day. She was just glad that they hadn’t thought to coordinate a counterattack. That thought hadn’t occurred to her until Genesis already had her in the air. At that, she gave him a nod. “I just thought I’d check. If you guys are good, then I’m going to get back to enjoying myself.” She headed back into the water at that.

Kaylan joined her again as well, and the two of them lost track of time while playing like children. It wasn’t long until they were shocked when everyone but Cloud finally joined them as well. Sephiroth claimed that it was good exercise and Genesis agreed, but Zack had no problem admitting it was just because it was fun. There were several times that afternoon that both girls found themselves in the air. Neither objected, though. It was a fantastic plus that they were with people that could manage to toss them more than a couple of feet away. It was like diving without the height.

Sherry and Zack also managed to convince everyone to try the jump at least once. Sherry ended up having to jump with Kaylan. It was tricky to make sure they weren’t too close when they landed, but when they finally emerged, Kaylan was laughing.

It was late afternoon when they decided to call it a day. They were all so waterlogged that the towels Sherry had provided didn’t help much, but at least they waited until they were no longer dripping before they got in the cars.

When they made it back to the house, Jerry was waiting. He had headed straight over after work. Sherry was more than grateful when he offered to grill for everyone. She took the opportunity to shower quickly and get into some dry clothes. Despite her claim to be unaffected by the sun, she was a little more red than brown when she inspected herself. At least she was sure it would change over the next couple of days. She already had an excellent base from all the time she liked to spend outdoors.

When she walked outside, she saw Caius standing with Genesis and Sephiroth. Zack was trying to help Jerry with the grill. Although it looked more like he was getting in the way. When she didn’t see Cloud right away, she asked Kaylan if she knew where he was. Her friend pointed to the trail that led down to the water.

Sherry already knew that he was more of a loner, but she couldn’t stop herself from worrying. Out of all of them, he was the most likely to be adversely affected. He had lost the most and was currently faced with the phantom of the man that had caused it. With the addition of his Geostigma, she was sure he had more than enough on his mind.

It didn’t take her long to find him sitting in the grass and staring at the brilliant sunset reflecting off the water. She sat next to him but didn’t say anything right away. It was several minutes before he finally turned to her. His wore a slight frown.

“I can tell just by the way he is acting that the Sephiroth here is not the same man that I killed, not yet anyway, but that doesn’t explain why you have been comfortable with him from the start. You know about my Geostigma. I haven’t even told my family. That leads me to believe you do know what has happened. Given that, I cannot understand why you want to help them.”

Sherry sighed. She wasn’t surprised that this had come up. At least he was willing to ask her instead of clamming up and sulking. She rested her chin on her knees and turned her head slightly to look at him. “Do you know anything about Sephiroth’s childhood?”

His frown deepened, but he answered. “I know that he was raised within Shinra to become their ultimate weapon.”

Sherry sighed and nodded. “That is part of the truth, but not all of it. Hojo may have claimed to be his father, but he never treated Sephiroth like a son. That maniac treated him as much like a test subject as he did any other specimen. Sephiroth was tortured and conditioned to stand alone. He never had anyone he could talk to or any outlet for his pain or fear. You may believe it is impossible for him to feel those things, but he was a child once, just like everyone else. The difference being that he was never allowed to act like a child. It’s a miracle he wasn’t broken when he was younger.”

She paused and made sure Cloud was looking into her eyes before she continued. “He was a victim. He may not like to think about it any more than you do, but it’s the truth all the same. He still is, really. I’m nearly positive that Hojo left all those documents in Nibelheim on purpose. I have a strong belief that it was just one more test to see how his ultimate specimen ticked. It’s sickening.”

Cloud was still frowning, but he didn’t say anything right away. Finally, he spoke again. “You really believe Hojo was responsible for Nibelheim?”

She gave him a nod. “Yes. Since that was where Sephiroth was born, all those documents were there from the days they spent there before his birth. I find it hard to believe that Hojo would just abandon all his research there when they went back to Midgar. Especially since so much of what was there were blatant lies. I mean, all the paperwork says that Sephiroth’s mother was Jenova when it was really Lucrecia Crescent. Even if Hojo twisted the truth in his own mind to think of Jenova as the mother, since Sephiroth does have a high concentration of her cells, still, in the end, he had to know that would all be found.”

Cloud sat up straighter and gave her a shocked look. It took him several moments to figure out what he wanted to say. “There are so many things in that statement that don’t make sense. Sephiroth was born in Nibelheim?”

Sherry gave him a curious look. “I thought you knew that. That was the purpose of the labs in the basement at the mansion. At least originally.”

Cloud shook his head and his brows furrowed. “I remember Vincent telling us once that the woman, Lucrecia, had locked herself up out of guilt. I knew she was Sephiroth’s mother, but I never realized all that happened in Nibelheim.”

Something else must have occurred to him as well since he shot her another confused glare. “You said Hojo claims to be Sephiroth’s father. Was he not?”

Sherry shook her head with a grimace. “I don’t know. All the official paperwork says that he is, but there are a lot of little clues that point to that only being the case in Hojo’s head. Just like he claimed Jenova was Sephiroth’s mother. There are a lot of people that believe-“ She cut herself off at that point. She had a feeling Cloud wouldn’t take it kindly to find out about Vincent’s past and the possible connections.

She wasn’t expecting him to pin her with a hard look, though. “You don’t want to tell me who you believe it to be. Why?”

Sherry sighed and looked back out to the water again. Her voice was soft. "Because it's someone you know and trust. I didn't think you'd appreciate hearing it."

She heard his sharp intake of breath and his voice was lowered again. "There's only one person I trust that could have been- Vincent is Sephiroth's father!?"

She shook her head and looked back at him. "I told you I'm not sure. He was Lucrecia's lover. She ended up running away when they got too close. She couldn't handle the guilt. She always felt responsible for Grimoire Valentine's death. He sacrificed himself to save her from an experiment gone wrong. It was after she distanced herself from Vincent that she married Hojo. It is my suspicion that she was already pregnant at that time, but I have nothing more than little clues. There is no concrete evidence."

Cloud stood and walked away. He didn't say anything for several moments before he turned back. "I don't know what to think. I always thought Vincent was a friend, but I didn't know any of that."

Sherry shook her head and stood as well. "He is your friend. Just because he still has things that haunt him doesn't mean he isn't. At this point, it really doesn't matter who Sephiroth's father is, though, does it?"

Cloud was still frowning, but he shook his head. "No, but none of what you have told me is enough for you to be acting so calmly with him. He may have been used, but he still ended up choosing the darker path. I know what it is like to fight Jenova's control, but I didn't give up!"

Sherry gave him an incredulous look. She had to wait for several seconds, so she didn't say something unnecessarily hurtful. Her tone was still hard when she spoke. "Really? You never lost control? At all?"

Cloud's eyes widened before his gaze hardened again. "Yes, but ultimately, I was able to fight her control."

Sherry nodded, but she was having to fight from glaring at him. "True, but you didn't do it alone. You had your friends there with you to encourage you to not give in. They gave you a reason to fight. Sephiroth never had that. By the time he was confronted with Hojo's lies, he had already lost almost all the people he had once called a friend. He felt used and betrayed and didn't have anything or anyone to hold onto when Jenova started whispering in his head. Her promises about love and belonging had to have seemed like a light in the dark to him."

Sherry could tell that Cloud did not like hearing her words. He was glaring outright, but he didn't speak right away. When he finally did, she had to bite the corner of her lip to keep from snapping at him.

"Nothing can excuse what he did. Ever. If you were in my shoes, you would understand. I can see why you want to prevent him from losing his mind, and I agree that it should happen, but I don't see how you can be so nonchalant about it. He has evil running through his veins. If you had lost your family and everything you ever loved, you wouldn't be so quick to want to help him!"

Sherry could feel herself shaking and tried to keep from yelling. As it was, her voice dropped into a cold tone when she was finally able to speak. "I will try to keep in mind that you don't know what the hell you're talking about. I do know what it feels like to lose everything. Even my childhood was stolen from me, and I refuse to allow that to dictate who I am. Forgiveness does not mean forgetfulness; it just means that your future is yours alone. It is better to let go of hate and anger because you are the only one it's hurting, no one else. I learned that lesson the hard way, so don't think for a minute that I am blind to what could go wrong. It is a choice I made. I will watch for the bad, but I will _not_ dwell on it. It isn't worth my time."

She could tell that she had shocked him, but she turned and walked away. If she stayed, she would have ended up saying more than she should. She knew it wasn't his fault, and he had every right to be angry, but that didn't mean she had to go along with it. If she had any hope of changing things, she couldn't allow any doubt to take root. She had to believe that all these men were worth saving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back to angst again. Don't worry, there will be plenty of laughs, but as you can tell, there might be a few tears too. I hope you enjoy! Thanks!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologize for the delay in any posting. Between many 12 hour workdays and family trying to visit, I have had zero time for anything else. Hopefully next week will be better. For now, please enjoy!

## Chapter 14

Genesis had noticed when Sherry rejoined them, but his curiosity was piqued when she didn’t speak to any of them. Instead, she headed behind the house. He excused himself and followed her. At least until he realized that she had sought out the one they called Cloud. The infantryman turned Soldier if he was to believe what they had been told so far.

Part of him wanted to get closer, to listen in since they had been told the diminutive blonde was the last in their timeline. Surely her talk with him would include the most information. He hesitated, though. There was a larger part that pushed him to wonder ‘what if’. If she was telling the truth and his foreknowledge could cause problems, then it was not worth it to tempt fate. He settled for leaning against a tree just close enough that he could still see them, but not so close that he would hear their conversation. At least not unless they raised their voices.

When the blonde stood and yelled the first time, Genesis was able to catch enough to know they were talking about Sephiroth, which made him question his decision, but he managed to rein in his curiosity. It was not much longer before Sherry stood as well. Watching their body language was enough that he thought about interfering. Not to listen in, but they were both angry. He wasn’t sure what prompted her outburst, but he clearly heard her last sentences before she turned on her heel and headed back up the trail.

He knew he could slip away, and she would never know he had been there. However, when he saw the tears she was blinking back, he decided to stay. When she caught sight of him, her face instantly transformed into a glare. “Were you listening?”

“Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul.” Her glare deepened at his quote, but she didn’t get to say anything before he continued. “When I realized you came to talk to Cloud, I stayed far enough back not to hear. I did not want to test your theory on the collapse of my timeline.”

She continued to glare for a few more moments, but something in his face must have let her know he was not lying. She finally nodded and tried to head back to the house. He stopped her once again. “There is one thing I would like to ask, though.”

Sherry had to repress a sigh as she stopped again. She really wanted to go somewhere alone so she could scream and let go of her anger, but it was apparent she wasn’t going to get any peace soon. She unconsciously crossed her arms while she gave him a glare. “What?”

He could tell her irritation stemmed from her upset, so he tried not to take it personally. “I have heard several things, especially today, that lead me to believe your life is not as calm as you make it seem. What happened to cause such a reaction from you?”

Her eyes widened slightly as she realized he at least heard the last part of her conversation with Cloud. As mad as she was that he was listening when he claimed not to have been, she was more upset at the feelings his question continued to stir up. She gritted her teeth and tried not to yell at him too. She knew it wasn’t really either man’s fault, and she couldn’t take her anger out on them. “I have had to deal with a few painful things, but they are in my past. I went through a lot of therapy to keep them there, so I would rather not go into details.”

Genesis didn’t move under her glare. Instead, his eyes narrowed before he spoke. “So, what you are inferring is that it is no issue for you to know nearly everything about our lives, but you are unwilling to have us know of yours?”

Sherry’s eyes widened at his accusation, and she simultaneously wished she could scream at his perception and still felt mortified that he was correct. She had to swallow a few times before she could make her voice work. “I apologize. That isn’t how I meant it. I can give you the high points, but I don’t usually like to talk about it.”

Genesis didn’t give her any answer other than leaning back against the tree he had been inclined against previously. Sherry sighed but still launched into her tale. “My life is like a soap opera in a lot of ways. Some things are better left in the past, but if you must know, I’ll give you the condensed version.”

When all he did was gesture for her to continue, she gritted her teeth, but still spoke. “I’m not really sure where to start, but I suppose the best place would be with my mother. She was a great person, but not such a good mother. She was always helping the elderly, and she was good at it. She also volunteered at the local women’s shelters for abused women, but when it came to her own life, she made a lot of bad choices. Especially when it came to the men she allowed in our lives.”

Sherry turned so that she wasn’t able to see his eyes while she continued. She didn’t want to know if he pitied her. “I won’t go into a lot of details, but none of the men ever made good father figures. She was married five times, and they were all less than stellar. She married my father right after I was born and divorced him right after my brother was. It was a couple of years after their split that he died from an overdose.”

“She was married to the second for about six months, and during that time, he made a point of beating my brother and me as often as possible. I was five at the time, and I’m the oldest.” She glanced back quickly and wished she hadn’t when she saw the look he was giving her. She clenched her jaw but ignored the pain as she continued. “We almost constantly had bruises from our shoulders to our knees.”

Genesis had stood by that point and tried to step in front of her. She didn’t allow him to. If she was going to be able to finish, she didn’t want him to see her face. It was hard enough to get it all out as it was. She ignored his huff and continued. “Her third husband was the worst. He abused us in pretty much every way you could imagine and probably some you couldn’t. She divorced him when he was sent to prison for the things he did.”

Sherry ignored Genesis’ hand on her shoulder and managed to finish. “The last two weren’t abusive pricks, but they were apathetic. I suppose that was an upgrade.”

She was suddenly stopped when Genesis forcefully turned her to face him. He put his hand over her mouth in a gesture to silence her. He was glaring when he spoke up. “Enough. I have heard enough.”

Sherry grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand off her mouth. She glared at him and almost snapped at him for making her talk and then not wanting to hear it. She didn’t get to before his gaze softened and he spoke again. “There are no dreams, no honor remains. I apologize. I should not have forced you to talk about this.”

Sherry swallowed a few times to clear her throat. She gave him a confused look for a few moments before she shook her head. “No, you were right. I do have things that are painful to talk about, but they are no worse than your own stories. It took a lot of therapy, but I learned how to deal with it. I shouldn’t get angry because you rightfully asked to know more about a person that is supposed to help guide you to a better future.”

Neither of them spoke again for several moments. Sherry’s anger had washed away entirely at his apology, and she was left with the dull ache that always followed those memories being dredged up. She had learned not to dwell on them and to not allow them to haunt her future decisions, but that didn’t mean they didn’t still hurt.

Finally, Genesis squeezed her shoulder in what Sherry assumed was supposed to be a comforting manner before he spoke again. “Be that as it may, I still apologize. If at some point in the future you feel like talking again, I will listen, but do not feel the need to share if it is all this painful.”

She was shocked at his thoughtfulness. She felt a little chagrined when she realized it was because she had already mentally cast him into the role of annoying drama queen. She knew better than most that people all had depth. There was always something underneath what everyone presented. She shook her head and gave him a smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She paused and cocked her head to the side before her smile widened. “I’m grateful that you aren’t pushing for now, but in time, if we have it, I may actually take you up on that offer. As long as you don’t mind some ice cream being involved, or chocolate at the very least.”

He gave her a shocked look that she laughed at. It took him a moment to figure out a response, which seemed to irk him. He gave her a slight glare when he finally spoke. “I am uncertain why sweets need to be involved.”

She laughed at him again before she patted his arm and gave him a smirk. “What? Don’t you have a sweet tooth?” He gave her an indignant look, and she had to clamp her lips together to keep from laughing even harder. It took her a moment to continue. “Chocolate is good for releasing endorphins. If I’m going to share my past and not turn into a blubbering mess, then sweets are more than necessary.”

His gaze softened, and he gave her a small smile. “In that case, I look forward to it.”

Sherry was glad that the conversation had taken a turn for the absurd. It helped ease the ache that she still felt from the conversation. She nodded at him. “Would you mind giving me a few minutes? I just need a moment before I rejoin you all.”

He gave her a nod and turned to head back to where the others were still conversing. Sherry leaned against the tree and closed her eyes. It was only a few moments later that she felt someone near her again and opened them to see Cloud was standing close by and giving her an unreadable look. She felt a pang of regret for yelling at him and started to apologize, but he spoke before she could.

“I want to apologize for pushing you, and for eavesdropping. I didn’t mean to.”

She grimaced when she realized he must have heard her talking to Genesis. She was going to have to remember that most of the men around her had superhuman senses. If she wanted to keep something secret, she had to go much further. She shook that thought off before she answered. “I know, and I should apologize as well. I let my temper get the best of me, and I shouldn’t have. It isn’t your fault.”

He paused before he gave her a quick nod. He didn’t move right away, though. She gave him a curious look before he finally spoke. “I don’t want to stir things up again, but… when you said you lost everything, including your childhood, were you talking about-“

He cut himself off at that point, but Sherry knew what he was getting at. She grimaced again and sighed, but she nodded. “Yes. I was never allowed to be a child. I am the oldest, and so it fell to me to protect my brother when I could. That’s not counting all the other stuff.”

Cloud gave her a look that was a mix of contrition and pity. She shook her head. “Don’t feel sorry for me. It shaped me into who I am today, and I like me.”

He couldn’t hold back a small smile at her insistence, but his look quickly went back to concerned. “Does that mean you forgave him? The man that did… that did that to you?”

Sherry bit back on another sigh and nodded. “Yes. It didn’t happen right away, but I eventually learned to let it go.”

He shook his head. “How can you not hate someone that took so much from you?”

Sherry paused and tried to organize her thoughts so they would make sense. “First, I don’t think I ever hated him. I was terrified of him for several years. When he was sentenced, he told me that he would kill me when he was released. That caused many nightmares, but eventually, I learned that holding on to the fear and pain was only hurting me. In order to really live, I couldn’t be bound by my past. It was a liberating feeling when I realized I didn’t have to feel like a victim for the rest of my life.”

“After that, I eventually learned to see things from his point of view. It wasn’t easy to get to that point, and don’t think that means that I condone what he did, but I was able to see that he was pitiful. He wasn’t a being worthy of my regard in any way. Once I realized that I knew that it was all in my past and would stay there. My future was mine alone.”

She gave him a crooked smile, even if it didn’t reach her eyes. “I know you have your reasons, and you are justified in how you feel, but I can no longer look at things from just one side anymore.”

When he gave her an incredulous look, she laughed lightly. “Don’t worry, most of my friends don’t understand either. It’s just me.”

He shook his head at her quip and gave her a small smile. “You know, I think you would have gotten along well with Aerith.”

Sherry felt her heart lurch but managed to smile anyway. “I would have liked to have known her.”

She could see the sadness in his eyes, but he still managed to sound hopeful. “Maybe you will get the chance.”

Sherry had to clench her jaw. She knew it could never happen, even if she succeeded, but that wasn’t Cloud’s fault, and she didn’t want him to lose the spark she finally saw in his eyes, so she just nodded. “Why don’t we get back to the others? I imagine dinner will be done soon.”

* * *

When Genesis left, both Zack and Sephiroth subtly shifted their little group to the edge of the trail behind the house. Neither of them was sure what was going to happen, but they both felt it was safer to be in position to react quickly if they heard anything.

After nearly half an hour of hearing nothing, they had finally started to relax and settle into the conversation again. It was at that point that both men lifted their heads and turned to the trail with widened eyes. Caius could not hear as well, but he tensed anyway. He had already figured out that the rest of the men around him had superior senses. When both men turned back with grimaces, he finally spoke. “Has something happened?”

Sephiroth shook his head, but Zack was the one to speak up. “It’s Sherry. She’s talking to Genesis, and… damn it.” He couldn’t finish.

Caius raised a brow but relaxed slightly. Whatever the two of them had heard must have been grave, but it didn’t seem as if there was an immediate danger. It was only a few minutes afterwards that Genesis rejoined them. The mage was wearing a scowl much like the ones that both Sephiroth and Zack still wore. The two men gave him a frown but didn’t say anything. Caius thought about asking what had happened but didn’t get a chance before all three of the others were looking back towards the woods once again.

It was at that point that Kaylan joined them to let them know that the food was ready. She caught their frowns though and realized something had happened. “What’s going on?”

None of them said anything at first, but she could tell they were all uncomfortable. Finally, Genesis spoke up. “I convinced Sherry to share some of her past, and it seems that it is something that would have been better left unearthed. She is speaking with Cloud right now.”

Kaylan’s lips pursed into a thin line, and she glared at him. She counted to ten in her head before she finally responded. “I don’t know why she even bothered to share anything, as no one is entitled to that information, but you better know that it wasn’t something shared lightly. Very few people know about the shit she’s been through for a good reason. She’s had to be the rock for her family since before her mother died, and she can’t stand to think that people might pity her. That’s the last thing she needs.”

She had to pause again so she would not lose her temper completely. She knew it would only make things harder for Sherry if she went off on the redheaded jackass. She gave him a glare before she continued. “I know there isn’t anyone you can talk to outside of this group, but at least try to respect her privacy.”

Caius’ gaze had drawn into a frown, and both Sephiroth and Zack looked abashed, although it was far more noticeable on Zack. Genesis, however, was glaring back at the girl. Whatever he was going to say was cut off when both Cloud and Sherry appeared from behind the house. She stopped when she noticed everyone was staring at the two of them. She didn’t get a chance to ask what was going on before Zack nearly tackled her into a crushing hug.

It took Sherry a moment to catch her breath before she could speak. “Do you mind easing up a little?”

He released the hug at her request, but he still held on to her shoulders and was giving her a concerned look. She had no idea how to take it. “What is going on?”

Zack shook his head before he hugged her again. It was at that point that she realized all of the enhanced men had probably heard both her conversation with Genesis and with Cloud. That was the only thing she could think of that would explain the looks they were all giving her.

She pushed back from Zack and grimaced before she turned to the rest of them. “I suppose you all heard everything then?”

None of them answered right away, but only Caius would meet her gaze. She shook her head. “I suppose that makes it easier. At least now I don’t have to worry about repeating it all again.”

Several heads shot up with surprised looks at her words and were further shocked when they saw her half smile. She gave them all exasperated looks. “I know you may not know me well yet, but I thought you would have at least realized that I’m not that breakable. This has always been part of me, and nothing has altered that. The fact that you know more about me now isn’t going to make me change the way I treat you, so I would appreciate you doing the same.”

She gave them all a few moments to respond, but when they continued to stare, she rolled her eyes and turned to Kaylan. “I don’t see Jerry. Does that mean the food is ready?”

Kaylan gave her a smirk and nodded. “Yeah, the burgers smelled terrific.”

Sherry grabbed Kaylan’s arm and started back toward the house. She paused long enough to look back over her shoulder. “I’m sure it’ll taste better warm. I wouldn’t wait too long before you join us.” She laughed lightly when she caught sight of her friend’s grin. It helped her let go of the last of the ache that had been bothering her since she first talked to Cloud. She knew the whole ordeal would have come up at some point, but now that it was over, she was glad she wouldn’t have to worry about it again. When the rest of their group finally started moving again, she laughed lightly.


	15. Chapter 15

##  **Chapter 15**

The next day, Sherry had decided to get up and make breakfast. While she was flipping pancakes, she was trying to figure out how things needed to go to get everything settled. Even so, she was more distracted by thoughts of her brother. She knew she was going to have to figure out how to tell him. She couldn’t just disappear and him not know what happened. She had already decided to call one of the local lawyers. Mr. Stephen Latham had helped her family several times over the years. Mostly because he had been friends with her mother. He had been known to take a pro bono case here and there and had worked with some of the women from the shelter. Sherry’s mother had usually been in the middle of it.

She had already decided that the easiest way to handle things would be to get Daniel set up as co-owner on everything. He was already her beneficiary, but if no one could find her body, things could get locked up for years. She wanted to make it as easy as possible. Getting the papers drawn up wouldn’t take much. Getting him to sign everything without a fight was a different story. He would want to know why, and she already knew that telling him the truth over the phone would go over as well as a lead basketball.

She barely acknowledged the thanks from her house guests as she placed the stack of cakes, sausages, and syrup down. They could all tell she was distracted. Genesis had stood to try and find out what was wrong, but he didn’t get a chance to say anything before their attention was drawn by an insistent ringing. Sherry looked up in confusion for just a moment until it occurred to her that it was her phone. The real world was finally intruding again.

By the time she made it to the other side of the room, it had stopped ringing. She swiped to see who had called and groaned at the name that came up. She wasn’t ready for any of this yet, but she knew that if she didn’t call the woman back, there would be hell to pay. She cursed under her breath and ignored the curious looks as she walked down the hall to the room she used as an office and closed the door before she hit redial.

It only rang once before a crisp female voice was heard on the other end. “Why are you not online? I tried to skype you first, but I haven’t seen you yet.”

Sherry rolled her eyes and quickly thought that it was a good thing the woman on the other end couldn’t see her. “Because I’m not supposed to be back for another day? I’m technically still on vacation.”

Sherry ignored the woman’s exaggerated sigh. “Today is Monday, Sherry. Please don’t tell me your little camping trip made you forget how to read a calendar. Your deadline is coming up quick.”

Sherry didn’t say anything right away. Instead, she pulled the phone away from her ear and looked for the date. When she saw it was indeed Monday, she cursed before she brought the phone back up to her ear. “Sorry Mia, I’ve had a lot going on the last couple of days and lost track of time. Don’t worry about the deadline, though. I got the last copy back from the editor and will start on the changes today. Hopefully, this will be the last time, and you’ll have your manuscript.”

Sherry could hear the false cheer in the woman’s voice and crinkled her nose in disgust. She knew she was in good hands, though, so she tried not to take it personally. “Good! I’m glad to hear it. That isn’t why I called, however. I have managed to set up a book signing tour for you. It only hits the big cities of the Eastern seaboard, but there are at least two stops in each city. It won’t start until the end of next week, so you have time to prepare.”

Sherry was frozen for a few moments. This was the last thing she had expected to have to deal with on top of everything else. She shook her stupor off when she heard Mia call out again. She had to bite back on a curse as she finally answered. “Mia, now is not a great time for that. I have a lot going on and can’t really get away.”

Mia’s voice turned cold, and Sherry wanted to groan when she recognized Mia’s infamous hard-ass tone. “This is not a request. Since your sequel is almost ready to print, we need to send a reminder to the public of why they liked your first book. You may not have hit the top one hundred, but it was still well-received. Now is not the time to disappear in those woods you call home.”

Sherry ran her hand down her face roughly. She didn’t even know if she would still be around in a couple of weeks but had no idea how to tell her manager that. Something about the request snagged at her thoughts though, and she tried to sound as if she wasn’t bothered by the whole mess. “So, you said the Eastern seaboard, right? As in I would have to pass through Charleston at least?”

Mia gave another exaggerated sigh. “I figured you would want to see your brother while you were out there, so I booked an extra day in Charleston. Better now?”

Sherry sat down heavily in front of her desk and set the phone down. She hit the speaker button and laid her head down on her crossed arms. The whole thing felt like a fiasco in the making, but she could already see how it might be a blessing in disguise. If she could figure out how to make things stretch for at least a month, then she could get everything lined out and figure out what the hell she was going to tell her brother when she saw him.

Mia sounded irritated at the silence, but she knew Sherry was still on the other end. Sherry finally raised her head just enough that her words were not too muffled. “Fine. I’ll do it, but I have some conditions of my own. I have to drive. I can’t fly. With that being the case, you will need to make sure the visits are far enough apart. Also, if you are going to book the rooms for me, then I need at least two rooms on the same floor. Adjoining if you can make it happen.”

For the first time, Mia sounded genuinely concerned, although Sherry suspected that it had more to do with her manager’s fear of not getting the book by the deadline than any real concern for an upset author. “What’s going on? You know flying would be easier on you. Did you run into some sort of trouble that I need to know about? Oh god, please don’t tell me that you got caught committing a felony!”

Sherry wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. At least she had an answer to the woman’s last question. “Of course I didn’t commit a felony. Calm down. I just got stuck helping some people out. Until I can get them situated, they will be traveling with me. I know it’s a little unusual, but I can’t ignore them. Don’t worry that it will interfere with the book getting out on time. I promise I’ll have it to you soon.”

Mia didn’t sound convinced at all. “I know you feel that it is nearly complete, but you can’t afford to miss this deadline!”

Sherry nearly growled at the woman. “There is a lot I can’t afford to have happen. I said don’t worry, so don’t worry. If you are going to insist that I do this, then at least give me a little wiggle room. Hell, I’ll even pay for the extra room out of pocket if I have to. Please, just do this for me.”

Mia did not sound enthused, but at least she seemed to grudgingly accept the request. “Fine. It’s not the strangest request I’ve heard. I’ll make sure you get two rooms. The concession will be that the hotel will not be four-star. I can also spread the days out a little, but you can’t miss a site.”

Sherry gave a nod out of habit and then rolled her eyes at herself when she answered aloud. “Thank you. I know you are helping me too. I’ll make sure the crowds will be wowed.”

Mia sniffed. “You’d better. I expect to see that manuscript within the next few weeks. Oh, and I’ll send you the site list along with the hotel reservations by the end of the day.”

“Thanks.” Sherry didn’t wait for another waspish remark before she hung up. She was glad that Mia had agreed to become her manager, but sometimes the woman drove her batty.

She didn’t move from her seat for several minutes. She had no idea how she was supposed to handle everything, but she also knew she didn’t have a choice. She grimaced at the thought before she stood and headed back to the front of the house. She stopped in her tracks when she walked into the living room, and all five men were waiting for her. None of them seemed to want to be the first to speak.

Sherry nearly groaned when she realized they must have all heard most of that conversation. She pointed to the table. “Have a seat. I guess we have even more to talk about.”

Both Cloud and Zack sat and gave her worried looks, but the other three followed more slowly. Genesis gave her a contemplative look as he finally sat. “We did not mean to eavesdrop, but your conversation did not sound exactly neutral. Are you really nearly done with your second book?”

She gave him an incredulous look. “I’m sure you heard that my manager wants me to take a road trip, and the status of my manuscript is what you want to know?”

Sephiroth gave Genesis a glare before he turned to her with a frown. “While I am sure finishing your assignments is important to you, we do need to know why you agreed to leave when you obviously have other obligations.”

She sighed and sat down before she put her head in her hands. She didn’t bother looking up before she spoke. “I don’t plan on abandoning my ‘obligations’. I needed to visit my brother soon, anyway. Even if I figure this out, I need to make sure he is taken care of before I… before I’m done.” She couldn’t bring herself to say before she was dead. The idea had her voice caught in her throat momentarily.

She finally coughed and looked up and around at them all. “I know you all want to get back quickly, and I plan on talking to everyone. If things work out that it’s over before I have to leave, then so be it, but I cannot ignore my other responsibilities while I have the chance. If you heard it all, then you can probably guess that I planned on at least asking if you wanted to go too and we could figure the rest out while we’re on the road.”

There was silence for several moments before Cloud finally spoke up. “You asked for two rooms, but I get the feeling that wouldn’t be enough for all of us. Why?”

Sherry sighed and leaned into her hands again. She didn’t get to answer before Zack spoke softly. “You don’t think we’ll still be around, do you?”

Her look was pained when she caught his eye and shook her head. “I can’t say for sure, but I’m not going to put off talking to any of you. If it stays the same, then no, I don’t think at least a couple of you will be around for much longer.”

Zack paled and stared into space at her answer. She was surprised that was all he did. Even if they had already discussed the possible outcomes, knowing it was probably going to happen soon had to test his resolve.

Her attention was caught when Cloud called out. He was frowning when she turned to him. He shot a quick glance in Sephiroth’s direction before he spoke. “If Zack and I leave, will you be-“ He cut himself off again and glanced at the Firsts. Genesis raised a brow at the look, and Sephiroth’s frown grew. 

Sherry shook her head and spoke up before the situation became volatile. “Yes, I’ll be fine. If you think about it, you will only leave if things are so profoundly changed that it keeps the worst from happening.” She paused and looked at Zack. He was still pale, but he was focused again. She gave him a smile before she turned back to Cloud. “I don’t think talking to Zack will change much, so if it happens, then it’ll be because things are going to be better.”

She hadn’t wanted to come out and say that Cloud was already mostly who he currently was by Zack’s point in the timeline, or that if they did disappear that it would mean neither First would become a murdering psychopath. Still, she felt she got her point across. Even if the two Firsts in question were now giving her blatantly curious glares. She ignored them as Cloud nodded.

At that, she leaned back so she could face them all. “If you are all still here in a week, then I’ll figure out the third room. If not, then I want to verify that everyone else will be coming. I will be gone for a little under three weeks. Not long, but I still need to ask. Since I will be driving, there will be room for everyone if you all decide to come.”

No one spoke right away. She watched as they all took in what she had said. She noted with curiosity that Sephiroth’s gaze was slowly turning more contemplative. She didn’t have to wait long to find out why, as he was the first to look up and answer. “If we go, then it will give us the chance to see more of your world?”

Sherry blinked a couple of times as her mind started whirling with all the things she hadn’t yet considered. She groaned as she realized the pain in the ass it would become if any of the men in front of her were spotted in a city. When they gave her a worried look, she finally nodded. “Yeah, you’d get to see some of the biggest cities in this country. I image we’ll probably have to stop in the Capital as well. From what I understand, we’ll be in each city at least two days, and I’ll be stuck in a book store or library the whole day. If you go, you can explore. I would ask you to have a little caution, though.”

They all gave her looks that ranged from offended to curious. She realized how that probably came out and shook her head. “It isn’t that I think you will get in trouble, but you all stand out. In cities those sizes, it wouldn’t surprise me if there were people that recognize you.”

They all sat up straighter at that and Sherry really wanted to kick herself. “Not as yourselves, but as people pretending to be you. It wouldn’t surprise me if you got compliments on your costumes. There might even be a few people that would ask for pictures. Crowds get weird. If you’re going to explore, just keep that in mind. And whatever you do, don’t start anything. You don’t have any kind of identification that would be valid for here and if you get arrested god knows the trouble it would be. Just keep a low profile is all I would ask.”

When no one said anything else right away, Sherry stood. “Think it over and let me know. I have a couple of phone calls to make, and I need to at least take a look at my edits or Mia will kill me.”

She got several nods before she turned and headed back toward her office. She hadn’t taken more than a few steps before Zack jumped up and ran to her side. He looked back before he moved her a little further down the hall and lowered his voice. “What you said, about Cloud not changing because of my point in the timeline. What happens to him?”

Sherry sighed and wished, not for the first time, that this burden was someone else’s. She didn’t get to answer before she felt someone behind them and turned to see that Cloud had followed. She sighed again before she nodded back to the door. “Why don’t we take a walk?” Neither of them objected as they followed her out.

Once they were a little way from the house, Sherry stopped and leaned against a tree. She gave Cloud an encouraging smile before she turned to Zack. “Look, there isn’t much you don’t already know. I know you were headed back to Midgar, even though you were already warned to stay away once.”

Zack looked a little abashed, but she didn’t let him try to explain. She held up one hand and gave him a soft smile. “I understand why, but it wasn’t the smartest move you ever made. If you wait, you have some unexpected allies looking for you.”

Both men gave her a confused look, but it was Cloud that spoke. “Allies? Who was looking for us besides Shinra?”

She grimaced at his question. She hadn’t been sure if he had ever found out the whole truth, but given his current strained relationship with the remnants of Shinra, it wasn’t surprising. She knew he wasn’t going to like what she was about to tell them. “You may be running from the infantry, but you aren’t the only ones. At the time of your journey to Midgar, the remaining Turks were declared traitors, and many of them were killed. The rest all went on the run. They weren’t without resources, though, and they decided to try and find the two of you.”

Cloud only looked confused. He shook his head. “Why?”

Sherry looked between them before she focused on Zack. “Mostly, because Tseng had 88 letters that he wanted to make sure got into your hands.”

Zack suddenly looked as if he had been head-butted by a behemoth. He tried to speak several times, but it took him a moment before he could. “He has the letters she wrote to me?”

Sherry could feel the prick of tears as she nodded. “Yeah. He kept every single one. He promised to watch over her, and he did.”

Cloud didn’t understand everything she had just said, but he understood the gist of it, and none of it made sense to him. It was like she was talking about entirely different people. “Wait, are you trying to say that Tseng was keeping watch over Aerith?”

Sherry could tell that Cloud did not like what he was hearing, but there was a lot he didn’t know. She gave him a nod, and when he looked like he was about to explode, she jumped in. “I know the Turks as you know them don’t seem like that. I am also aware that Tseng kidnapped Aerith, but there is a lot you don’t know. Like the fact that they had only recently been allowed back into Midgar. Most of the Turks were still either missing or declared traitors. The ones that did decide to come back were being watched with the threat of death hanging over their head if they stepped out of line again. I’m not saying what they did was excused, because it isn’t, but don’t think for a minute that it never bothered them. Tseng didn’t know what Hojo had planned for Aerith, and I guarantee that if he had, he wouldn’t have been so willing to follow orders. Besides, they had just lost one leader. He knew the Turks needed someone they could look up to. If he had disobeyed, it probably would have been the catalyst for the remaining Turks to be killed.”

Both men were staring at her like she had three heads by that point. It was several minutes later before Zack spoke again. “Wait, Tseng was the leader? What happened to Veld?”

Sherry grimaced. “He was why they were branded traitors. He chose family over Shinra, and Tseng was ordered to assassinate him. When the president found out Veld’s death was faked, it was lights out for the Turks.”

Zack looked totally lost by that point. “Woah, wait, what? Go back a little and explain that please.”

Sherry sighed but gave him a nod. “I’ll try to give you the quick version. It was before you ever came to Shinra that Hojo experimented on the survivors of a certain mishap. One of them happened to be Veld’s daughter, Felicia. He didn’t know she had survived, but when he found her as the leader of Avalanche, he decided he was going to do whatever he could to save her.”

Sherry hadn’t thought it was possible, but Zack looked even more confused than before. “The chick that went toe to toe with Seph in Junon was Veld’s daughter!?”

Sherry almost laughed at the look he was giving her. “Yeah. When you put it like that, it does sound kind of funny, but that was her. She was able to do that because of what Hojo did to her, but the power was killing her. Veld managed to find her and save her, but the President didn’t like the relationship, I guess.”

“Woah, yeah, I bet he didn’t.” 

Zack took a step back and looked like he had more to add, but Cloud butted in. He was still frowning. “I’ve never heard any of this. Are you sure it’s the same people that destroyed Sector Seven, just to get rid of Avalanche?”

Sherry sighed at the stubborn set to his jaw, but she nodded. “Yes, it is. What they did was inexcusable, but they didn’t do it out of malice or hatred or even because they didn’t care. Like I told you yesterday, there is always more than one side to any story. It takes courage to be willing to listen objectively. I know it is especially for you, but I believe in you.”

Cloud huffed before he walked a short distance away. Sherry wished there was a way to make it easier for them, but the truth was the truth, no matter how hard it was. She nearly jumped when Zack put a hand on her shoulder and gave her an understanding look. “Thanks for telling me.” He then looked over to his friend for a moment before he looked back and gave her a smile. “Let me talk to him. We’ll be in shortly.”

She gave him a smile. “Alright. If you have any more questions, let me know. Just, when you go back, don’t go to Midgar.”

He gave her a half salute with a grin. “You got it!”

She smiled before she turned to head back in to give them privacy. She doubted that anything she had said would make much of a difference in their lives, as they had both already lived through Hojo, but even if it just saved Zack’s life, she would count it as a win. That was her prevailing thought when she walked back into the house.


	16. Chapter 16

##  **Chapter 16**

When Sherry went back into the house, she noticed the other three men were in the kitchen talking. They all looked up when they heard the door. She didn’t give them a chance to speak, though. “I apologize, but I really need to get to work. If there is anything you really need, please let me know. Otherwise, I’ll be back out later.”

Genesis looked like he had something to say, but Caius spoke before he could bring it up. “That is fine. I understand your need to get your business in order before you finish with us. As much as I know I am needed in Paddra, I know the Goddess would not put me into a predicament I cannot return from.”

Sherry stared for a few moments. She wasn’t sure what to think of his statement, but at least she knew it meant that she had one of the guys that would be willing to wait if necessary. It didn’t hurt that he knew what she was facing. “Thanks. I’ll be in my office if you need me.” She didn’t wait for any further response before she headed back to work.

The first thing she did was call the lawyer’s office. If she was going to be headed to the East Coast soon, then she needed to have everything ready. The sooner, the better. If she had the chance to leave early, she might. It would depend on how things were set up.

Her second call was to her bank. Mr. Latham would be able to get the paperwork for her house and most of her assets drawn up, but her accounts needed to be modified at the bank. The branch manager was someone she had known for years, so it took some evasive maneuvers to keep from answering too many questions on why she was changing everything, but she hung up with a promise from the woman that she would have everything ready by the next morning. After that, it would just be a matter of getting both Daniel and the paperwork to a notary.

Once that was all started, she finally turned on her PC. She had a laptop as well that she would use occasionally, but when she was at home, her desktop was her go-to. As frustrating as the editing process was, it didn’t take her long to get lost in her work.

She had completely lost track of time while she worked. She hadn’t even stopped to eat and didn’t realize it until a knock sounded at her door. It made her jump as she lost focus. She rubbed her eyes to get a little moisture into them as she called out for whoever it was to enter. When she lowered her hands, she was shocked to see Genesis standing in the doorway with a plate and a steaming cup.

Her surprise must have shown on her face since he smirked and handed everything over. “There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the Goddess. When you never came out for a meal, we assumed you were quite busy. I volunteered to bring you something.”

Sherry gave him a smile and sniffed the cup. Her eyebrows rose at the smell of coffee. She took a quick peek at the time on her screen and was surprised to see it was already after 15:00. She turned to him with a chagrined look. “Thank you, even if it is a little late in the afternoon for coffee.”

He only raised a brow at her quip before he nodded toward her screen. “If your previous behavior is any indication, I felt you could probably use it. Something tells me we won’t be seeing you for the rest of the day.”

Sherry huffed a half-laugh. “You’re probably right. If I plan on getting this finished, then I don’t have time for luxuries like sleep.”

Sherry could feel how much he wanted to roll his eyes at her as he shook his head. “You remind me of someone else I know, with your dedication to putting yourself in an early grave.”

Sherry almost choked on a laugh as she had her mouth full. She managed to swallow so she could speak. “I thought you figured out already that I play as hard as I work. It’s the only way to stay sane.”

He smirked at her. “If that is the case, then perhaps we can teach that trait to a friend of mine.”

She smiled and shook her head. “Sure, but it’ll have to be later. I need to get back to this.” When he gave her a nod and turned to go, she called out once more. “Thanks again.” He gave her a smile before he closed the door behind himself.

Sherry didn’t move again until later that evening. She had once again managed to lose herself in her work and was only interrupted when Kaylan barged in with a huff. “How many times do I have to remind you to eat?”

Sherry looked up and blinked several times. She finally noticed it had gotten dark as well. She shook her head and stood with a stretch. “Sorry, I don’t have a lot of time, and I can’t leave this unfinished.”

Kaylan shook her head before she grabbed her friend by the arm. “Well, I cooked dinner, and you’re coming out of this cave to eat, whether you like it or not. Grab those dishes and come on.” Sherry smiled at Kaylan’s retreating back as she grabbed her plate and cup from earlier.

When she made it into the living room, she was stopped by Cloud on her way to the dining room. His voice was low, but he kept eye contact. “Look, I still can’t say that I understand your approach, but that doesn’t mean I have any right to get mad at you. You didn’t do anything other than pass on information. It isn’t your fault, so the least I can do is not get angry. I may not ever understand, but I won’t take it out on you again. I’m sorry.”

She gave him a half-smile. “Thanks. I know it can’t be easy, but I’ll try to do what I can to make it bearable.” He gave her a nod and allowed her to finish heading to the kitchen to deposit her used dishes.

None of the men said anything else to her until they were seated. Sherry failed to notice them all watching Kaylan. The girl had laid into them all when she came over and found out that Genesis had been to only one to even try to make sure Sherry wasn’t killing herself. For such a tiny woman, her temper was incredible. The thought had occurred to a couple of them that the girl could give Genesis a run for his money in that department. They kept that to themselves, though.

When conversation did start again, it was light. There were a few questions about Sherry’s book and the progress, but she was happy that Kaylan didn’t allow it to stay focused on that subject. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested in talking about it, but she was so aggravated with her editor at the moment, that she would rather talk about anything else.

Despite that aggravation and Kaylan’s continued objections, Sherry headed back to her office as soon as the table was cleared after their meal. Cloud was kind enough to offer to clean up, so she was free to get back to work. None of the others tried to stop her. The only delay was when Kaylan grabbed her and gave her a hug. She knew it would be next to impossible to drag Sherry away from work when her mind was set, and Kaylan knew she would have to leave long before Sherry was done for the night.

Once that was handled, Sherry disappeared again. It ended up being after midnight before she gave up for the day. She had checked most of the edits, but she was far from being in agreement with them all. She knew she would need to walk away before she sent it back. Her responses were mostly from her irritation at what the man wanted to cut, and she knew that a little distance would hopefully keep any subsequent edits to a minimum. She would check her responses after she slept and then go through them once more before she even thought about sending it back.

* * *

The next morning Sherry was awakened by a knock on her bedroom door. She rolled over with a groan but didn’t realize what it was until she heard it again. She sat up and managed to mumble a response. Whoever it was must have understood it somewhat as they called out. “I apologize for waking you, but there is a vehicle that just pulled up, and there seem to be several people now headed for the house.”

Sherry groaned again but pushed herself out of bed. She grabbed the pants at the end of her bed and was wrestling them on as she finally called out. “Thanks, Caius.”

She was almost dressed when she heard the front door being flung open. She froze when she heard a voice to accompany it. “An Chiry, An Chiry!”

That tiny voice was the last thing she expected to hear. She managed to finish in record time and nearly ran out of her room. She had barely made it out when a small body collided with her legs, and she looked down to see her youngest niece grinning up at her. Despite her worry, she grinned back and picked the girl up. She was barely four and was still having difficulty getting everything out, especially since she was excited, but Sherry understood enough.

She carried her niece into the living room in time to see her brother walking in with his other daughter asleep in his arms. Sherry’s face felt numb, but she still managed to smile as she whispered. “Hey. You can lay her on my bed for now.”

He didn’t return the smile, but he gave her a nod. He didn’t say anything until after he laid his daughter down. When he walked back into the living room, Sherry was standing in the middle of the room awkwardly half-listening to her niece tell her about the long drive while the rest of her brain tried to figure out what was going on. Her uncomfortableness wasn’t helped by the fact that all five of her houseguests were also in the room and obviously trying to figure it out as well.

Daniel was nearly glaring as he looked at everyone, but Sherry tried to keep it light. “This is an unexpected visit. Did Sam not come too?”

Daniel’s voice was hard, but Sherry could tell that he was trying to keep it under control since his youngest was still clinging on to his sister. “She couldn’t get off with such short notice. Kaylan called and said there was an emergency.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “She made it sound dire, so I managed to get off. We need to talk as soon as she gets here.”

Sherry swallowed thickly. As much as she had been debating what she was going to tell him, she had never thought this was a possibility. She wanted to be mad at Kaylan for calling Daniel, but she couldn’t find the ire. She knew the girl was barely handling things and she should have seen it coming. She managed to give Daniel a nod and stepped back to try and get introductions over with. “So, this is the brother I told you all about, Daniel, and this little one is my niece, Anna. The sleeping one was Stella.”

Zack gave an exuberant hello and Cloud managed to provide a pleasant nod, but the rest of them were cut off when Daniel glared at her again. “Who are these guys anyway? What the hell is going on?”

Sherry had never felt more like a deer in the headlights as everyone looked to her for their next moves. She could feel her face freeze as she handed Anna over to Daniel and gestured around. “These are some gentlemen that I have been asked to help. They are staying here until we can get it all figured out.”

Daniel’s brows lowered. “And do they have names? Or are you not telling me on purpose?”

Sherry sighed and rubbed her temples before she gestured to each man in turn. “Please meet Sephiroth, Genesis, Caius, Cloud, and Zack.”

Daniel gave her a look like she had just declared the world was made from ice cream or something. “Sherry, have you finally lost it?”

She sighed and shook her head. “Look, just wait to hear me out, ok? Have I ever not taken care of things?”

The look he gave her was far from being convinced. “Maybe that’s why you lost it?”

She rolled her eyes at him and turned to focus on Anna. “Do you want some pancakes? I bet you’re hungry, right?”

Daniel eyed the men before he glared back at his sister. “This isn’t over.”

Sherry gave him a lost look. She already knew their conversation wasn’t going to be a good one, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. She gave him a nod to show she had acknowledged him before she took Anna and headed to the kitchen. Zack started to follow them and help, but a glare from Daniel had him moving back. Sherry was just glad that all her guests seemed to have sense enough not to get in the middle of the siblings. She was even more thankful when the two Firsts and Caius went outside. Her brother was a little less tense with the three largest males out of the house.

The whole time Sherry spent cooking was spent in awkward silence between the adults. Anna kept up a running commentary, and thankfully, the girl didn’t have a problem continuing without much prompting. It made the rest at least a little bearable. Sherry wasn’t quite finished cooking when Kaylan showed up. The girl gave Sherry an apologetic look when she walked in, but Sherry just shook her head and smiled. She couldn’t be mad at Kaylan for caring.

Kaylan helped her set everything out. As soon as Anna was eating, Kaylan also offered to wake Stella. Daniel thanked her before he gave Sherry a pointed look. She kissed Anna on the top of the head before she gestured to the door. The siblings walked in silence until they made it to the clearing beside the house. It was far enough out that their conversation could be private at least.

Sherry paced while she waited for Daniel to say something. She still had no idea where to start. Finally, she stopped when he spoke. “Sis, Kaylan made it sound like you were dying. She wouldn’t tell me what was going on, but she said it was important for me to see you immediately. It’s a damn good thing I don’t have classes right now. It took jumping through some hoops, but I was able to take a few days of emergency leave. Please tell me that I didn’t just pull in every favor I could just because you fell in with some weirdos.”

Sherry huffed a little laugh, but it was only to hide the fact that she was close to tears. She had to face away from him before she could speak. “I suppose it makes sense that she called you. I had planned on seeing you when I headed out there in a couple of weeks, but since you are here, we can go ahead and get all the paperwork signed without having to go through extra steps.”

There was a pregnant pause before he lightly grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. His worry was clearly evident. “What paperwork? You still haven’t told me what is going on.”

She swallowed a couple of times before she could speak. “I’m adding you as co-owner on all my assets. All the paperwork should be done by tomorrow. I imagine that Mr. Latham could get them done today if I let him know you’re here.”

At that, he grabbed both her shoulders and gave her a small shake. “What the hell!? That doesn’t make this any clearer. Why are you doing this?”

The first tears finally started to fall as she grabbed him in a tight hug. “Daniel, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why it was me that was chosen, but something happened, and I was made a l’cie.”

He had pulled her in tight when she started crying, but he froze at her last words. He pushed her back after a moment, and Sherry could tell that he was trying to figure out how to calm her down and still tell her she was crazy. He was fighting to keep from yelling. “I know this may seem real, but you have to know on some level that those guys are actors. Maybe great ones, but l’cie aren’t real.”

Sherry shook her head and took a couple of steps back. She had already been through this once and knew there was only one sure-fire way to prove she wasn’t crazy. She held up both hands and focused. A rime of frost encased one hand while a small fireball popped up in the other. She held them for a few seconds; just long enough for Daniel to realize he wasn’t seeing things.

It was still several seconds after they were gone before he could manage to say anything. “What the hell was that!”

Sherry gave him a frustrated look. “What did it look like? It was magic. I told you I’m a l’cie.” At that, she flipped her wrist over and let him see the mark there. He stepped forward and ran his fingers across it before he looked back up. Sherry felt like he had punched her when she saw the look in his eyes. She hadn’t seen that look since their mother’s funeral.

He grabbed her almost painfully, and his voice was shaking. “Tell me this is some kind of stupid prank. There is no way you can be a l’cie.”

She couldn’t make her voice work, so she shook her head. He shook her again and nearly yelled. “No! I can’t lose you too! Don’t do this!”

Sherry had started sobbing, and her voice was breaking. “I didn’t ask for this! It’s not like I want to be a l’cie. What do you want me to do!? Should I just give up and become a c’eith!?”

Daniel stepped back and was shaking his head. His voice had dropped to a broken whisper. “No, just no.”

It was at that point that a bright glow started coming from Sherry’s arm, but neither sibling paid it much mind. All Sherry knew was that her whole world was suddenly full of pain. She swallowed a scream and managed to yell instead. “I don’t want this! I didn’t ask for it! If I could choose, it would be someone else, anyone else! I can’t-“

She was cut off when her arm suddenly felt it had been thrust into open flames. She did scream at that point, and her attention was drawn to the symbol that had started glowing even brighter. She grabbed it, but not before a deep red crystal ripped its way out of the middle of the glow and started floating in front of her.

Both siblings watched in horrified fascination as the crystal floated higher before it shattered and light pierced the sky. It was only moments later that symbols appeared in the air above them. Sherry thought there was a meteor headed for them at first, but it stopped just short of hitting the ground, and she could finally see a giant bird wreathed in flames.

They were both frozen in place until the animal let out a piercing screech and let a ball of fire fly toward the two of them. Daniel managed to push them both out of the way just in time. When the bird screeched again, instinct took over, and Sherry was on her feet. She pushed Daniel back as she threw a ball of ice toward the bird. She was half surprised that it hadn’t melted before it hit.

At that point, they heard crashing through the brush, and Caius came running to her side. He was closely followed by the other four men. None of them wasted time in questions. Instead, they all fell into a formation around the magical bird. When it sent more flame flying, it was not aimed at Sherry. When Zack barely managed to push Daniel out of the way and block the flames with the Buster Sword, she realized she couldn’t fight with her brother in danger.

“Someone get Daniel back! Now!”

When no one moved, Sherry yelled again. She was barely keeping it together and couldn’t handle the idea of her brother dying because of her. “Please!”

At that point, Genesis jumped and grabbed him. It was a lot more awkward than it should have been, as Daniel was nearly as big as the First. It was not much of a fight, though. No matter his size, Daniel didn’t have the strength of the First. Sherry could hear him cursing Genesis, but all she could feel was relief as their voices got further away. She doubted that either of them would be willing to go far, but at least he was out of danger. 

She focused once again and saw that the other four were already sporting burns and cuts. It only took her a matter of seconds to send healing spells to all of them. Once she was caught up on that, she barely had time to try and give them some protection in between dodging flames and feathers.

The next several minutes were a flurry of action as they all focused on trying to stay alive. When Sherry barely managed to throw up an ice ball to intercept a shot that would have taken off Zack’s head, she yelled at their opponent. She had already realized why it was there, and she hadn’t needed much convincing. “I will not give up!”

She could feel a weakness creeping through her veins as the fight dragged out. When she stumbled and had to blink twice to focus on the man next to her, she growled. She ignored Caius’ hand and stood with difficulty before she locked her knees to keep on her feet. She concentrated all that she had left to force the monster to focus on her. She had managed to get a reflect up, but it didn’t stop everything. She shut out the pain as much as she could and forced herself to focus on her eidolon. She threw everything she had at it. She could feel tears streaming down her face but ignored those too as she started yelling with each spell she flung at it.

She almost fell again, despite her determination, but Caius was there to keep her on her feet. A terror had gripped her. Despite how much she had wished she wasn’t the one chosen, she wasn’t ready to die just yet. Even with that fear in her heart, she managed to toss one more spell. It bounced off the bird, but mostly because it was already in the middle of spinning.

All five people had stopped and were staring at the monster as it finally came to a stop. Sherry braced herself against Caius but was shocked when their opponent rose up and screeched once more before it knelt before her. She blinked several times to try and make sense of what she was seeing. It wasn’t until Caius’ soft voice broke her reverie that she moved.

“It’s time to meet your eidolon. I have only heard of Phoenix; never have I seen a l’cie that commands her. Congratulations.”

She looked up at him with shock before she looked back at the firebird. She looked back up once more and gave him a strained smile before she let go of his arm and managed to walk the few steps to her eidolon. She hesitated when she got close to the flames, but it didn’t take her long to realize that they were a comforting warmth. As soon as she took the final step and touched the soft feathers, she felt her strength returning. She ran her hands down the giant pinions before she looked back.

She couldn’t hold back more tears as she saw the men staring in wonder, including Daniel and Genesis. They were at the edge of the clearing and staring with the rest of them. It took her several tries to find her voice. “Thank you all. Without you, I would have died.”

Caius shook his head as he approached. “Most l’cie never face their eidolons. When I faced Bahamut, I had the help of a half-dozen warriors. You should not diminish your victory. We could not have succeeded if you had not proven your worth.”

Sherry could not find the words to respond. Instead, she gave him a smile before she patted Phoenix one last time and stepped away. The bird darted up but seemed to disappear. The crystal that it had come from floated down, and was absorbed back into her skin. She watched the whole process with a horrified fascination. Once it was gone, she looked back to Caius. “That is going to take some getting used to.” He smiled at her quip.

Sherry was still trying to come to grips with what had just happened as she turned to face her brother once more. As the adrenaline started wearing off, she realized that she was still exhausted, but there were still many things to do. She gave Caius and the others another nod in thanks before she headed to Daniel. After that fight, she had a feeling that the rest of what she had to face would not be nearly so bad, even if it was painful.


	17. Chapter 17

##  **Chapter 17**

Sherry was halfway to the edge of the clearing when she stumbled. Her wounds had been healed, but her exhaustion was creeping back in. When she almost fell, three of the men around her raced to try and catch her. Caius was the closest and managed to stop her from hitting the ground, but both Genesis and Daniel were there a second later. She gave them all a tired smile. “Thanks.”

Once she was steady, Caius let her go, and she looked to Genesis. “Thank you. I couldn’t focus with my brother in danger.”

Genesis didn’t get a chance to reply before Daniel was nearly yelling again. “And you think it was easy for me to watch that? Do you have any idea what it felt like for me to see you engulfed in flames? I thought I was watching you die!”

Sherry looked away with a grimace, but she managed to speak. “I know you wanted to help, and you are a capable soldier, but you aren’t equipped to handle a magical bird that shoots flames.”

He nearly growled at her. “And you are? You barely managed to survive!”

She glared back at him. “I didn’t have a choice! If it killed me, it might have disappeared, but it might have gone berserk! It is my eidolon, so it was up to me to deal with it.”

Daniel looked like he was about to explode, but Sherry put both her hands up. “Stop, ok? Just for a minute, please.”

Her brother looked ready to strangle someone but closed his mouth. Sherry took the opportunity to turn to the rest of the men. When she did, she finally noticed a growing bruise on Genesis’ jaw. She grimaced as she realized why it was there. Her voice was low when she spoke. “I’m sorry about that.”

He gave her a confused look, but it only lasted a moment before he smirked back. “It will heal soon enough. At least everyone was safe.”

Sherry found herself smiling at Genesis and his nonchalant attitude, but she quickly shook it off as she turned to the rest of the group. “Thank you all again, but could my brother and I have a few more moments, please? I doubt anything else will come to out of nowhere and attack us.”

Most of the men gave her a nod and headed out of the clearing. Only Genesis and Caius hesitated, but they both saw the look the siblings were exchanging and left as well. Once they were alone, Sherry sighed and turned to her brother. “I don’t have any kind of excuse. I don’t regret asking for one of them to take you out of the fight. As for everything else, there is nothing I can do but move forward. I still plan on doing what I can to make sure most of the loose ends are taken care of before I’m… gone.”

Daniel glared at her. “You can’t possibly expect me to accept this so easily!”

Sherry turned her back on him. “I don’t expect anything from you. This is outside of the realm of normal reality. All I can do is keep moving forward. I know it’s impossible, even though you have seen proof. All I ask is that you please let my last days with you and the girls be as normal as they can be.”

There was complete silence between them for several minutes. When Daniel finally spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper. “I’m going to make sure the girls aren’t too freaked out by everything.” Sherry didn’t say anything as he walked away. She simply stood there and let her tears fall.

* * *

It was nearly half an hour later that Sherry finally joined everyone else. She couldn’t repress a half-smile when she came in and found the two girls interrogating Zack and Cloud. The two men were taking it fairly well. Zack, in particular, seemed to be enjoying the exchange. She also caught her brother’s eyes, but he looked away almost instantly. She had to repress a pang. She understood he was still trying to process everything, but that didn’t stop it from hurting. She needed her family now, more than she ever had before.

When the girls caught sight of her, they immediately transferred their exuberance to their aunt. They wrapped themselves around her legs as soon as she was in the living room. She laughed down at them. “Girls, I haven’t eaten yet. Why don’t you let me get some food, then we can decide what to do for the day? Okay?”

They both giggled and grabbed on tighter as she tried to drag them both across the room. Before Sherry made it to the kitchen, though, Stella stood and started jumping up and down. “Can we do the sword game!?”

Sherry didn’t need to ask what she was talking about. She laughed before she nodded. “Tell you what, let me get something to eat and we can under two conditions.”

Before she could list the conditions, Cloud spoke up. He was frowning slightly as he spoke. “Sword _game_?”

Sherry shrugged and tried to explain. “It’s a rhythm game. You can come watch if you want.” She turned to the girls at that point. “Okay, first, Anna, you are still too little, but we’ll figure something out, okay?” The youngest girl pouted, but Sherry picked her up and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “It’ll be okay. We can always play the dancing game later.” At that point, Anna perked up. Sherry then turned to Stella. “Also, if anyone else wants to play, they get turns too. Alright?”

When the Stella nodded exuberantly, Sherry laughed. Neither girl left her side as she grabbed some food. Despite their constant questions, she was able to finish quickly. As soon as her dishes were in the sink, Anna asked to be picked up, and Sherry obliged. She then carried her downstairs with Stella right behind. She also noted that Cloud and Zack followed after giving Daniel a look. The other three men were either elsewhere in the house or still not back inside.

It didn’t take her long to get the VR set up. Anna had started pouting again when Sherry refused to let her try, but Sherry pulled a book out and read to her while they watched Stella play. After a few songs, Sherry asked if she could have a turn. Stella frowned a little, but she didn’t argue. Both girls sat on the futon so they could watch.

Sherry had forgotten that Cloud and Zack had come to watch since they had been standing quietly on the other side of the room. It wasn’t until she was finished with her two songs that she heard Caius’ voice and was reminded that it wasn’t just her family downstairs. She had picked a couple of hard ones, so she was still a little out of breath when she turned to see him standing in the doorway and giving her a contemplative look.

“I had believed you to only have the heart of a warrior.”

She gave him a confused looked, so he pointed to the tv. “You are obviously untrained, but you have excellent reflexes and good instincts.”

Sherry shook her head with a chuckle. “It’s a rhythm game, and I have decent rhythm, that’s all.”

Caius shook his head, but it was Zack that spoke. “No, seriously! Angeal would have loved to see that. You stay on your toes, and you keep your body loose, so it’s easy for you to react. It’s not as advanced as our VR, but that’s pretty cool!”

Sherry rolled her eyes a little and shook her head. “I think you're overreacting a little. Besides, my VR can’t shank you if you miss.”

Zack gave her a confused look. “Huh?”

She laughed out loud at the look. “I mean, it has no physical repercussions unless you trip or something. It can’t cut a sword in two.”

Understanding finally lit in Zack’s eyes and his smile dimmed, but it was back quickly. “Still, can I try too?”

Sherry looked at the girls. They were both listening with interest, but neither had said anything else, so Sherry shrugged. “I guess it won’t hurt. I think it might be better to play something else after Stella’s next turn though, so it’s fair.”

Stella pouted at that, but Anna started jumping up and down. “Dance, dance!”

Sherry laughed. “Yes, we can play the dancing game next. Let these guys have a turn, and we’ll change it, okay?”

Anna nodded, but Stella was still pouting. Sherry gave her a devious grin and grabbed her up. She threw her over her shoulder and tickled her exposed side. When the girl started screaming in laughter, Sherry relented and plopped her down on the futon. “You’ll get one more turn before we change. For now, why don’t we see what these guys can do?”

Stella still didn’t look happy, but she relented, and they watched Zack. It didn’t take the Soldier long to pick it up. He finished a couple of the hardest songs on the highest difficulty. When he was done, Sherry shook her head. He was still grinning when he handed the helmet back to Stella and sat next to Sherry.

“That was fun! I had no idea you had something like that.”

Sherry shook her head. “Well, we haven’t exactly had much time to go over anything outside of duties, mostly.”

Zack nodded but didn’t comment further. Once Stella was done, Sherry switched the games and watched as the girls went through one dance after another. They convinced both Sherry and Zack to join them a few times, but for the most part, Sherry was too tired to join often. Daniel had come down at some point and watched the girls too, but he still refused to look at his sister. She tried not to let it bother her too much.

After lunch, Sherry took the girls outside, and they played with an old tire swing for a little while before they went on a hike behind the house. By the end of the day, Sherry wasn’t the only one that was worn out. Cloud and Zack helped her make a quick dinner. By that time, all of the men had come back in, and thankfully, Daniel didn’t say anything. Although, he did continue to give Genesis glares throughout the evening. Sherry was just glad that was the worst of it.

After dinner, they had to figure out where everyone was going to sleep. Thankfully, the air mattresses were back, and it made things a little easier. Daniel and the girls all crashed downstairs, and Cloud and Zack agreed to sleep in the living room. Sherry realized they were still taking turns sleeping. She sighed as she admitted to herself that there probably wasn’t much she could do about it at this point. They were grown men anyway. Once that was all settled, she bade them all goodnight and fell asleep almost as soon as her head was down.

* * *

The next morning, Sherry was woken by a tiny body bouncing on her stomach. She didn’t even have her eyes open before she grabbed the body mid bounce and pulled the giggling girl down beside her. She finally opened her eyes and grinned at Anna. The girl poked her side, and Sherry laughed. It was Stella she heard though. She looked up to see the girl standing next to her bed and holding a tray.

Sherry sat up and gave her a curious look. It was at that point that she saw Daniel standing in her doorway. Her brows scrunched down a little as he gave her a half-shrug and a strained smile. “I guess you could call it a peace offering. The girls were excited to help.”

Sherry felt tears instantly prick her eyes as she gave him a smile. “Thanks.”

She took the tray from Stella and carefully set it to the side before she grabbed both girls in a tight hug. “Thank you both too.”

Stella pushed back and frowned at her tears. “What’s wrong?”

Sherry smiled brightly and kissed her forehead. “It’s just that I love you both so much.”

The girls giggled when Sherry poked them both in the side, but she didn’t get into a tickling competition. Instead, she set them beside her and pulled the tray into her lap. “Are you both going to help me eat?”

They laughed again as Daniel spoke up. “We ate already.”

She gave him a nod but gave each of the girls a piece of bacon anyway. Her brother sat on the side of the bed and watched them. She gave him a look before she spoke again. “Girls, your dad and I have some errands to run today, but after we are done, how does a visit to the park sound?”

The girls both responded with giggles and nods. Sherry looked over to see Daniel had started frowning again, but he gave her a nod. She was glad that he seemed to be excepting the necessity at least.

Once Sherry was finished eating, Stella retook the tray and ran toward the kitchen. Sherry had to remind her not to run with glass, and the girl slowed. Once the girls and Daniel left her alone, Sherry quickly got dressed and headed into the living room. She wasn’t surprised to see all of her guests around the table. She _was_ surprised to see Daniel talking with Zack. Although she realized she shouldn’t have been. Zack had a way of getting to people, and they did have a few things in common.

She joined them but didn’t get to say anything before Anna insisted on being picked up. Once the girl was settled in her lap, she looked to her guests. “I have some errands to run this morning, and after that, I planned on going to the park with Daniel and the girls. I know there is stuff to be done, but would you mind if I had the day with my family? They have to leave in the morning.”

Caius had been leaning against the wall nearby. At her question, he stood and put a hand on her shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze as he nodded. “Take care of what you need to.”

She smiled up at him and looked around. Zack and Cloud nodded as well. Sephiroth was giving her a contemplative look, but he nodded too. Genesis was the only one to speak. “Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess. I have the impression that this is important for you, so I will not object. We can postpone until they are gone. Besides-“ He looked down at the two girls and smiled. Sherry shook her head when they both grinned back at him. At least she wasn't the only one that thought he could be charming when he wasn’t being an ass. At their grins, he continued. “I believe it might be best, given what we still have to handle.” Sherry mouthed a ‘thank you’ over the girl's heads, and he smirked back.

Once that was decided, Sherry helped Daniel load the girls into their car seats, and the family headed to take care of all the paperwork. It ended up taking them most of the morning to get everything signed and notarized, but by lunch, everything was official. Daniel was co-owner on everything. 

Sherry felt both better and worse afterward. She knew that things were handled at least, and it was one less thing she had to worry about, but it also meant that she was one step closer to leaving them behind forever. She physically shook the thoughts out of her head as Daniel pulled into the Subway next to the park. They all grabbed a sandwich for lunch and walked down to eat at one of the picnic tables.

It was next to impossible to keep the girls seated long enough for them to finish eating. Sherry finally gave up and wrapped the last of her sandwich back up so she could take them to the playground. The first thing they both wanted to do was swing. Stella was big enough that she didn’t need help and she had to show that fact off. Anna, on the other hand, was thrilled to be pushed.

It wasn’t long until the girls joined a small group of children running around the playground, screaming and giggling. Sherry took a seat on a nearby bench and was watching them with a smile. It wasn’t long until Daniel joined her. They were both watching the girls when he spoke up. “They’re going to miss you.”

Sherry had to fight the sudden urge to cry as she turned to him. “I’m going to miss you all too.”

He finally turned to her. “What am I going to tell Sam?”

Sherry shook her head. “The truth. I know it’ll be hard, but she trusts you. Besides, I’ll be visiting in a couple of weeks. I have a book tour, and Mia was kind enough to book an extra day in Charlotte so I could visit you guys.”

Daniel gave her a nod before he leaned back with a sigh and looked out for the girls again. It was several more minutes before he spoke again. “You know, as much as I hate this, I have to admit the universe, or whatever, picked the right person.”

She looked over sharply. When he finally turned to look at her, she couldn’t stop her tears at the look he was giving her. It was worse when he spoke again. “I can’t stand the thought of losing you, but you are the best person to help them. You’ve always given us everything we needed, even before mom died. It tears me up, but I know you’ll succeed.”

Sherry couldn’t speak right away; she was crying too hard. Daniel shook his head and wrapped her in a quick hug. “You need to stop that. I’ll start crying too and then what’ll everyone think.”

Sherry gave a hiccupping laugh and shook her head. “They probably already think there’s drama going on. What do we care anyway?”

He gave her a sad smile. “Yeah. As long as we have family, right?”

Sherry felt like her chest was going to rip open, but she gave him a nod. “We’ll always have family. No amount of time or space will change that.”

Daniel gave her shoulder a squeeze before he stood. He smiled down and helped her to her feet. He gave her another quick hug before he turned back to the playground. “It’ll be dinner time by the time we get home. We have to leave early too.”

She nodded as he tried to round up the girls. Sherry went to the closest water fountain and splashed a little water on her face before she joined them. The last thing she wanted to do was worry the girls. It would be hard enough saying goodbye the next day without adding to their upset. 

When she rejoined them, Daniel had a crying Anna in his arms and a pouting Stella trailing behind him. Sherry laughed at the sight and picked Stella up. She was almost too big to be carried, but for the moment, Sherry didn’t mind.


End file.
